Knowledge Attitude and Practices of Mitanin's (Community Health Workers) in Chhattisgarh: Malaria Elimination Perspective

Front Public Health. 2022 Mar 3:9:774864. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.774864. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Background: For the success of any program, its implementation plays a crucial role. Community health workers are of immense importance for malaria elimination from India.

Objective: This study was aimed to assess the knowledge gaps and the responsible factors for mitanins' knowledge on various aspects of and problems faced by mitanins during their work.

Methods: Structured interviewer-based questionnaire was used to collect the data, and ordinal regression was applied to analyze the data.

Results: Only 26% of the mitanins were having a good knowledge attitude and practices (KAP) score about malaria. Malaria endemicity of area [odds ratio (OR) = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.13-0.50), P < 0.001] and education (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.18-0.69, P = 0.002) were the two significant factors affecting the KAP of mitanins.

Conclusion: This study shows that prioritizing education while recruiting the mitanins and training them in the low endemic areas with a focus on malaria, which will help achieve the malaria elimination goal.

Keywords: community health workers (CHWs); knowledge attitude and practice (KAP); malaria; malaria endemic areas; tribals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Community Health Workers* / education
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Humans
  • Malaria* / epidemiology
  • Malaria* / prevention & control
  • Motivation
  • Surveys and Questionnaires