Factors associated with effective malaria prevention and control in slum areas. A case study of Katanga

Abstract

Background Despite remarkable progress in reducing malaria prevalence and incidence in Uganda, there are areas that remain heavily burdened with the epidemic. Slum areas are among such areas and the extent to which the prevention strategies have been effective remain poorly understood. This study therefore aimed at assessing measures taken to prevent malaria and associated factors among households in slums using Katanga slum as a case study. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Katanga slum in Kampala. A total of 113 randomly selected respondents were interviewed in this study. Data analysis was done using Stata 15. A descriptive summary was computed and presented in tables. A bivariate analysis used a Chi-Square test to assess for associations between the adoption of malaria prevention practices and the independent variables, and using variables that had p-value < 0.1, binary logistic regression was fitted. Results Overall, 105 (93%) and 82 (73%) respondents had good knowledge and a positive attitude toward malaria prevention practices respectively. Only 20% reported good malaria prevention practices. In bivariate analysis, there was a significant relationship between believing that malaria is a life-threatening disease (p=0.025, ꭓ2=5.02), believing that the best way to prevent yourself from getting malaria is by avoiding mosquito bites (p=0.003, ꭓ2 =3.02), believing that it is dangerous when malaria medicine is not completely taken (p=0.013, ꭓ2 =6.11), and believing that sleeping under a mosquito net during the night is one of the ways of preventing yourself from getting malaria (p=0.001, ꭓ2=2.13), with malaria prevention practices in Katanga slum. In multivariate analysis, the respondent’s belief in; malaria as a life-threatening disease (OR=1.39; 95%CI: 0.28,6.85), the best way to prevent yourself from getting malaria is by avoiding mosquito bites (OR=1.38; 95%CI: 0.19,9.58), it being dangerous when malaria medicine is not completely taken (OR=1.41; 95%CI: 0.31,6.43), sleeping under a mosquito net during the night is one of the ways of preventing yourself from getting malaria (OR=1.71; 95%CI: 1.22,2.41) and how often one and their family members slept under a mosquito net, never (OR=0.01; 95%CI: 0.00,0.10) and sometimes (OR=0.03; 95%CI: 0.01,0.17) were independently and significantly determined to affect practices of malaria prevention measures in slum areas. Conclusion The attitude towards malaria and the individual practices towards malaria prevention were found to have an association with malaria prevention measures. However, the socio-demographic factors and the respondent’s knowledge of malaria were found to have no association with malaria prevention measures.