Table 2 General knowledge of malaria symptoms, causes and prevention among participants 18 years or older, by study year
| Â | 2007 N = 130 | 2008 N = 182 | 2009 N = 297 |
|---|---|---|---|
Symptoms of malaria | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) |
   Fever | 71 (54.6) | 98 (53.9) | 175 (58.9) |
   Headache | 45 (34.6) | 101 (55.5) | 175 (58.9) |
   Chills | 71 (54.6) | 114 (62.6) | 197 (66.3) |
   Vomiting | 35 (26.9) | 73 (40.1) | 111 (37.4) |
   Diarrhoea | 21 (16.2) | 40 (22.0) | 78 (26.3) |
   Body ache/pain | 14 (10.8) | 18 (9.9) | 43 (14.5) |
   Cough | 4 (3.1) | 27 (14.8) | 33 (11.1) |
   Weakness/fatigue | 11 (8.5) | 38 (20.9) | 46 (15.5) |
   Flu-like symptoms | 1 (0.8) | 7 (3.9) | 10 (3.4) |
   Thirsty | 4 (3.1) | 8 (4.4) | 16 (5.4) |
   Loss of appetite | 14 (10.8) | 10 (5.5) | 25 (8.4) |
   Yellow eyes/skin | 24 (18.5) | 19 (10.4) | 17 (5.7) |
   Other | 11 (8.5) | 13 (7.1) | 10 (3.4) |
   Do not know | 14 (10.8) | 3 (1.7) | 0 (0.0) |
Causes of malaria | Â | Â | Â |
   Mosquito bites | 92 (70.8) | 152 (83.5) | 258 (86.9) |
   Breathing bad air | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
   Eating bad food | 8 (6.2) | 8 (4.4) | 16 (5.4) |
   Eating fresh maize | 0 (0.0) | 6 (3.3) | 19 (6.4) |
   Eating fresh fruits | 3 (2.3) | 10 (5.5) | 16 (5.4) |
   Eating sugar cane | 0 (0.0) | 5 (2.8) | 14 (4.7) |
   Drinking bad water | 13 (10.0) | 18 (9.9) | 50 (16.8) |
   Dirty surroundings | 2 (1.5) | 12 (6.6) | 25 (8.4) |
   Flies | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (0.7) |
   Other | 2 (1.5) | 3 (1.7) | 7 (2.4) |
   Do not know | 33 (25.4) | 24 (13.2) | 21 (7.1) |
Preventive measures against malaria | Â | Â | Â |
   Burn a fire in the house | 1 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
   Charms | 4 (3.1) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
   Do not go outside at certain times of day | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
   Have screens on the windows | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
   Keep skin covered | 1 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.3) |
   Sleep under a mosquito net | 52 (40.0) | 120 (65.9) | 227 (76.4) |
   Spray insecticide inside the house | 3 (2.3) | 7 (3.9) | 5 (1.7) |
   Take medicine to prevent malaria | 8 (6.2) | 16 (8.8) | 31 (10.4) |
   Wear insect repellent | 0 (0.0) | 2 (1.1) | 3 (1.0) |
   Drinking and eating clean water and food | 7 (5.4) | 12 (6.6) | 31 (10.4) |
   Bury mosquito breeding sites | 13 (10.0) | 20 (11.0) | 20 (6.7) |
   Keep surroundings clean | 11 (8.5) | 49 (26.9) | 74 (24.9) |
   Seek early treatment | 8 (6.2) | 20 (11.0) | 39 (13.1) |
   Other | 3 (2.3) | 5 (2.8) | 11 (3.7) |
   Do not know | 55 (42.3) | 30 (16.5) | 22 (7.4) |