Health Education by Buddhist Monks to Promote Malaria Knowledge and Preventive Practices in Rural Myanmar

Myanmar Health Network Organization501 enrolled

Overview

Malaria is still a leading public health concern in Myanmar. However, people living in rural areas usually showed poor prevention practice despite residing in malaria hotspots. The majority in Myanmar are Buddhists who frequently visit the monastery and receive the speech delivered by the monks. In a malaria high burden township of the Sagaing Region from northern Myanmar, current study will first explore the difference in malaria preventive practices among people residing in different malaria-endemic villages through a mixed-methods approach. Next, this research will address the knowledge gaps by a monastery-based health education delivered by trained Buddhist monks using standardized health messages instruction for six consecutive months between August 2022 to January 2023. To test whether the intervention could balance those gaps among different groups, quantitative data of baseline, 3-month, and 6-month will be compared using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, T-test or repeated ANOVA, and the Difference-In-Differences (DID) analysis, as applicable.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

501

Conditions

Buddhist Monks Health Education Malaria

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 60 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: For educational intervention; - voluntary participation For questionnaire surveys; * male or female household leaders or immediate family members * aged \>18 years who had resided in the study villages for more than one year Exclusion Criteria: For questionnaire surveys; \- Individuals who were unable to communicate effectively or were under the influence of narcotics, including alcohol

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Malaria knowledge and preventive practices

To assess pre-existing malaria knowledge and preventive practices among both intervention and control groups, pre-intervention surveys were conducted. Subsequently, three- and six-month post-intervention surveys were conducted to evaluate changes following the intervention. A validated questionnaire translated from English to Burmese was used. The questionnaire comprised three sections: demographic information of the respondents, knowledge of malaria and preventive practices. Each section had multiple small questions, and each correct answer was scored. The resultant scores were aggregated, wherein every participant had the potential to accrue a maximum of ten points pertaining to the attribution of malaria causation, symptoms of malaria, and adoption of personal preventative measures against malaria. The participants were eligible to secure eight points in the domain of malaria diagnosis and treatment, alongside twelve scores for the use of LLINs.

Time frame: Pre intervention (July 2022), 3-month post-intervention (Dec 2022) and 6-month post-intervention (Mar 2023)