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Effectiveness of health education interventions to improve malaria knowledge and insecticide-treated nets usage among populations of sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Malaria health education intervention is a community-directed approach that has long been considered important in preventing malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. However, its effectiveness is being questioned due to a lack of strong evidence. We aim to synthesize the evidence of the impact o...

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Main Authors: Onyinyechi, Opara Monica, Mohd Nazan, Ahmad Iqmer Nashriq, Ismail, Suriani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media 2023
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107462/1/107462.pdf
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107462/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1217052/full
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spelling my.upm.eprints.1074622024-10-21T01:44:27Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107462/ Effectiveness of health education interventions to improve malaria knowledge and insecticide-treated nets usage among populations of sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis Onyinyechi, Opara Monica Mohd Nazan, Ahmad Iqmer Nashriq Ismail, Suriani Introduction: Malaria health education intervention is a community-directed approach that has long been considered important in preventing malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. However, its effectiveness is being questioned due to a lack of strong evidence. We aim to synthesize the evidence of the impact of health education on malaria knowledge and insecticide-treated nets (ITN) usage. Specifically, we analyzed the odds of correctly answering malaria-related questions and the odds of using ITN between the intervention and control groups. Methods: Experimental and observational studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa between 2000 and 2021 which had quantitatively evaluated the impact of health education interventions on malaria knowledge and ITN usage were included in the review. Results: A total of 11 studies (20,523 participants) were included. Four studies used educational interventions to teach appropriate ITN strategies and promote ITN usage. Two others focused on improving knowledge of malaria transmission, prevention, treatment, and its signs and symptoms. The remaining five studies assessed both ITN use and malaria knowledge. Of these, 10 were eligible for meta-analysis. On average, the odds of a person in the intervention group reporting better malaria knowledge (odds ratio 1.30, 95 CI: 1.00 to 1.70, P= 0.05) and higher ITN usage (odds ratio 1.53, 95 CI: 1.02 to 2.29, P= 0.004) increased significantly after receiving health education interventions compared to those in the control group. The odds of ITN usage also substantially increased when the interventions were based on a theory or model (odds ratio 5.27, 95 CI: 3.24 to 8.58, P= 0.05). Discussion: Our review highlights sub-Saharan Africa's various health education strategies to curb malaria over the past two decades. Meta-analysis findings show that health education interventions are moderately effective in improving malaria knowledge and ITN usage and have contributed to the effort of global malaria strategy. Frontiers Media 2023-08-03 Article PeerReviewed text en cc_by_4 http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107462/1/107462.pdf Onyinyechi, Opara Monica and Mohd Nazan, Ahmad Iqmer Nashriq and Ismail, Suriani (2023) Effectiveness of health education interventions to improve malaria knowledge and insecticide-treated nets usage among populations of sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. pp. 1-11. ISSN 2296-2565 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1217052/full 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1217052
institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
building UPM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Putra Malaysia
content_source UPM Institutional Repository
url_provider http://psasir.upm.edu.my/
language English
description Introduction: Malaria health education intervention is a community-directed approach that has long been considered important in preventing malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. However, its effectiveness is being questioned due to a lack of strong evidence. We aim to synthesize the evidence of the impact of health education on malaria knowledge and insecticide-treated nets (ITN) usage. Specifically, we analyzed the odds of correctly answering malaria-related questions and the odds of using ITN between the intervention and control groups. Methods: Experimental and observational studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa between 2000 and 2021 which had quantitatively evaluated the impact of health education interventions on malaria knowledge and ITN usage were included in the review. Results: A total of 11 studies (20,523 participants) were included. Four studies used educational interventions to teach appropriate ITN strategies and promote ITN usage. Two others focused on improving knowledge of malaria transmission, prevention, treatment, and its signs and symptoms. The remaining five studies assessed both ITN use and malaria knowledge. Of these, 10 were eligible for meta-analysis. On average, the odds of a person in the intervention group reporting better malaria knowledge (odds ratio 1.30, 95 CI: 1.00 to 1.70, P= 0.05) and higher ITN usage (odds ratio 1.53, 95 CI: 1.02 to 2.29, P= 0.004) increased significantly after receiving health education interventions compared to those in the control group. The odds of ITN usage also substantially increased when the interventions were based on a theory or model (odds ratio 5.27, 95 CI: 3.24 to 8.58, P= 0.05). Discussion: Our review highlights sub-Saharan Africa's various health education strategies to curb malaria over the past two decades. Meta-analysis findings show that health education interventions are moderately effective in improving malaria knowledge and ITN usage and have contributed to the effort of global malaria strategy.
format Article
author Onyinyechi, Opara Monica
Mohd Nazan, Ahmad Iqmer Nashriq
Ismail, Suriani
spellingShingle Onyinyechi, Opara Monica
Mohd Nazan, Ahmad Iqmer Nashriq
Ismail, Suriani
Effectiveness of health education interventions to improve malaria knowledge and insecticide-treated nets usage among populations of sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis
author_facet Onyinyechi, Opara Monica
Mohd Nazan, Ahmad Iqmer Nashriq
Ismail, Suriani
author_sort Onyinyechi, Opara Monica
title Effectiveness of health education interventions to improve malaria knowledge and insecticide-treated nets usage among populations of sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis
title_short Effectiveness of health education interventions to improve malaria knowledge and insecticide-treated nets usage among populations of sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full Effectiveness of health education interventions to improve malaria knowledge and insecticide-treated nets usage among populations of sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis
title_fullStr Effectiveness of health education interventions to improve malaria knowledge and insecticide-treated nets usage among populations of sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full_unstemmed Effectiveness of health education interventions to improve malaria knowledge and insecticide-treated nets usage among populations of sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis
title_sort effectiveness of health education interventions to improve malaria knowledge and insecticide-treated nets usage among populations of sub-saharan africa: systematic review and meta-analysis
publisher Frontiers Media
publishDate 2023
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107462/1/107462.pdf
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107462/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1217052/full
_version_ 1814054636190957568
score 13.211869

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