Table 3 Changes in VMWs' service quality, actions, and knowledge (n = 195)
| Â | Â | Pre scale-up | Post scale-up | Absolute change | p-value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â | Â | n | % | n | % | % | Â |
Service quality | Â | Â | Â | Â | |||
Active detection | Visit villagers to find malaria patients (Regularly) | 58 | 29.7 | 22 | 11.3 | -18.5 | <0.001 |
Diagnosis and treatment | Take body temperature (Always) | 53 | 27.2 | 141 | 72.3 | 45.1 | <0.001 |
| Â | Observe symptoms (Always) | 101 | 51.8 | 142 | 72.8 | 21.0 | <0.001 |
| Â | Ask symptoms from family (Always) | 56 | 28.7 | 89 | 45.6 | 16.9 | <0.001 |
| Â | Prescribe A+M to those who had positive RDT results (Always) | 191 | 97.9 | 195 | 100.0 | 2.1 | 0.046 |
| Â | Use RDTs (Always) | 194 | 99.5 | 194 | 99.5 | 0.0 | 1.000 |
Prescription of anti-malarials | Explain about the importance of compliance (Always) | 116 | 59.5 | 166 | 85.1 | 25.6 | <0.001 |
| Â | Explain about dosage (Always) | 193 | 99.0 | 195 | 100.0 | 1.0 | 0.157 |
| Â | Compliance failure can cause/spread drug resistance | 13 | 6.7 | 180 | 92.3 | 85.6 | <0.001 |
| Â | Inappropriate to save tablets for next infection | 137 | 70.3 | 192 | 98.5 | 28.2 | <0.001 |
| Â | Inappropriate to save tablets to treat other people's malaria | 144 | 73.8 | 192 | 98.5 | 24.6 | <0.001 |
| Â | Compliance failure can result in incomplete treatment | 146 | 74.9 | 181 | 92.8 | 17.9 | <0.001 |
Follow-up | Make home visits or ask patients' family to check if patients recovered (Always) | 40 | 20.5 | 107 | 54.9 | 34.4 | <0.001 |
Dissemination of preventive measures | Cover water jars/tanks | 113 | 57.9 | 190 | 97.4 | 39.5 | <0.001 |
| Â | Fill in water pools | 141 | 72.3 | 191 | 97.9 | 25.6 | <0.001 |
| Â | Spray house | 21 | 10.8 | 66 | 33.8 | 23.1 | <0.001 |
| Â | Wear long-sleeve shirts/pants | 154 | 79.0 | 194 | 99.5 | 20.5 | <0.001 |
| Â | Bring hammock nets to forest | 163 | 83.6 | 194 | 99.5 | 15.9 | <0.001 |
| Â | Use mosquito coils | 24 | 12.3 | 52 | 26.7 | 14.4 | <0.001 |
| Â | Clear bush around house | 169 | 86.7 | 195 | 100.0 | 13.3 | <0.001 |
| Â | Never told not to come close to malaria patients | 156 | 80.0 | 182 | 93.3 | 13.3 | <0.001 |
| Â | Sleep under bednets | 183 | 93.8 | 195 | 100.0 | 6.2 | 0.001 |
| Â | Never told not to share utensils with malaria patients | 166 | 85.1 | 178 | 91.3 | 6.2 | 0.070 |
Actions for malaria prevention and vector control | Â | Â | Â | Â | |||
Malaria preventive measures | Come back home before dawn | 173 | 88.7 | 194 | 99.5 | 10.8 | <0.001 |
| Â | Bring hammock nets to the forest | 170 | 87.2 | 190 | 97.4 | 10.3 | <0.001 |
| Â | Sleep under bednets at home | 187 | 95.9 | 195 | 100.0 | 4.1 | 0.005 |
| Â | Wear long-sleeved shirts/pants | 187 | 95.9 | 195 | 100.0 | 4.1 | 0.005 |
| Â | Refrain from going to the forest | 169 | 86.7 | 72 | 36.9 | -49.7 | <0.001 |
Vector control measures | Seal holes/cracks on walls/ceilings | 16 | 8.2 | 90 | 46.2 | 37.9 | <0.001 |
| Â | Kill mosquitoes by hands | 118 | 60.5 | 179 | 91.8 | 31.3 | <0.001 |
| Â | Cover water jars/tanks | 138 | 70.8 | 192 | 98.5 | 27.7 | <0.001 |
| Â | Spray house | 7 | 3.6 | 48 | 24.6 | 21.0 | <0.001 |
| Â | Use mosquito coils | 8 | 4.1 | 42 | 21.5 | 17.4 | <0.001 |
| Â | Fill in water pools | 162 | 83.1 | 193 | 99.0 | 15.9 | <0.001 |
| Â | Burn trash around house | 171 | 87.7 | 194 | 99.5 | 11.8 | <0.001 |
| Â | Clear bush around house | 171 | 87.7 | 190 | 97.4 | 9.7 | <0.001 |
| Â | Don't plant flowers/grasses around house | 101 | 51.8 | 95 | 48.7 | -3.1 | 0.527 |
Knowledge of malaria epidemiology and vector ecology (correct answers to all questions) | |||||||
Malaria symptoms | 23 | 11.8 | 87 | 44.6 | 32.8 | <0.001 | |
Malaria transmission | 40 | 20.5 | 93 | 47.7 | 27.2 | <0.001 | |
Vector breeding places | 12 | 6.2 | 75 | 38.5 | 32.3 | <0.001 | |
Vector development time | 14 | 7.2 | 69 | 35.4 | 28.2 | <0.001 | |
Vector natural enemies | 4 | 2.1 | 40 | 20.5 | 18.5 | <0.001 | |
Vector species | 21 | 10.8 | 20 | 10.3 | -0.5 | 0.862 | |
Vector active time | 191 | 97.9 | 190 | 97.4 | -0.5 | 0.180 | |