Malaria classroom corner: a school-based intervention to promote basic malaria awareness and common control practices among school-age children
ISSN: 0965-4283
Article publication date: 16 May 2020
Issue publication date: 4 June 2020
Abstract
Purpose
This study assessed the effectiveness of malaria classroom corner (MCC), school-based intervention in the promotion of basic malaria awareness and common control practices among children of primary school age.
Design/methodology/approach
A quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 206 children of primary 5 and 6 classes from two randomly selected public primary schools in Owerri, South Eastern Nigeria. The MCC was designed and set up in the intervention school (with 103 children) while the control school (with 103 children) was offered malaria health talk. Structured pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data pre- and post-intervention in both schools. Data was analysed using Statistical Package – Stata version 14.1 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA).
Findings
Results show that there was a significant enhancement of basic malaria awareness (p = 0.0003) and common preventive and management practices (p = 0.0202) among children in the intervention primary school compared to those in the control primary school.
Research limitations/implications
The study did not account for actual behaviour change, as its scope was within basic malaria awareness and common control practices.
Practical implications
This approach could enhance awareness and proactiveness of school children towards malaria prevention and overall health consciousness.
Social implications
This could help in achieving a healthy population of school children with a positive effect on their school performance.
Originality/value
The MCC could provide a simple, participatory and effective approach for the promotion of basic malaria awareness and common control practices among primary school-age children in malaria endemic areas. Such children could, in turn, become malaria conversation drivers and behaviour change agents in their homes and communities, thereby contributing to the malaria elimination efforts.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the administration of the Community primary school, Umuguma and Model Primary School, World Bank area, Owerri, Nigeria, for the permission they granted them to carry out this study in their schools. The authors appreciate the classroom teachers of the primary 5 and 6 classes of these schools for participating as facilitators. The authors also appreciate the parents who gave consent as well as all the children who participated in this study. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.Funding: No funding was received for this study.
Citation
Chukwuocha, U.M., Iwuoha, G.N., Ogara, C.M. and Dozie, I.N.S. (2020), "Malaria classroom corner: a school-based intervention to promote basic malaria awareness and common control practices among school-age children", Health Education, Vol. 120 No. 1, pp. 107-119. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-11-2019-0050
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited