Abstract
BackgroundIn Cambodia, behaviour change communication (BCC) represents an integral component of malaria efforts aimed at fighting artemisinin resistant parasites and achieving elimination. The multi-pronged BCC interventions include interpersonal communication through village health volunteers (VHVs) and village malaria workers (VMWs), broadcasting malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment messages via TV, radio and mobile broadcasting units (MBUs), distributing information education and communication (IEC) materials and introducing mobile malaria workers (MMWs) in endemic villages.MethodsThis was a cross sectional household survey using a stratified multi-stage cluster sampling approach, conducted in December 2012. A stratified multi-stage cluster sampling approach was used; 30 villages were selected (15 in each stratum) and a total of 774 households were interviewed. This survey aimed to assess the potential added effect of ‘intense’ BCC interventions in three Western provinces. Conducted 2 years after start of these efforts, ‘non-intense’ BCC (niBBC) interventions (e.g., radio or TV) were compared to “intense” BCC (iBBC) implemented through a set of interpersonal communication strategies such as VMWs, VHVs, mobile broadcasting units and listener viewer clubs.ResultsIn both groups, the knowledge of the mode of malaria transmission was high (96.9 vs 97.2 %; p = 0.83), as well as of fever as a symptom (91.5 vs 93.5 %; p = 0.38). Knowledge of local risk factors, such as staying in the forest (39.7 vs 30.7 %; p = 0.17) or the farm (7.1 vs 5.1 %; p = 0.40) was low in both groups. Few respondents in either group knew that they must get tested if they suspected malaria (0.3 vs 0.1; p = 0.69). However, iBBC increased the discussions about malaria in the family (51.7 vs 35.8 %; p = 0.002) and reported prompt access to treatment in case of fever (77.1 vs 59.4 %; p < 0.01).ConclusionThe use of iBCC supported positive improvements in both attitudes and behaviours among the population with regard to malaria compared to mass media (niBCC) only. The significantly increase in people seeking treatment for fever in iBCC villages supports Objective Five of the Strategic Plan in the Cambodia Malaria Elimination Action Framework (2016–2020). Therefore, this study provides evidence for the planning and implementation of future BCC interventions to achieve the elimination of artemisinin resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-016-1276-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
In Cambodia, behaviour change communication (BCC) represents an integral component of malaria efforts aimed at fighting artemisinin resistant parasites and achieving elimination
Description of the intervention “Intense” BCC intervention villages refer in this context to those villages that received direct community based BCC interventions in the form of interpersonal communication through village health volunteers (VHV), Mobile Broadcasting Units and listener viewer clubs (Table 1)
This study shows that use of intense behaviour change communication (iBCC) supported positive improvements in both attitudes and behaviours among the population with regard to malaria compared to mass media only
Summary
In Cambodia, behaviour change communication (BCC) represents an integral component of malaria efforts aimed at fighting artemisinin resistant parasites and achieving elimination. Behaviour change communication (BCC) is widely recognized as one of the main health promotion strategies [1, 2]. It is an interactive process of working with individuals and communities to develop communication strategies to promote positive behaviours as well as create a supportive environment to enable them to adopt and sustain positive behaviours [3]. Amongst the available BCC strategies to induce voluntary behaviour change, without economic or legal intervention, there are currently two options: interpersonal and mass communication [4, 5]. To promote new malaria interventions and to keep the audience engaged in the BCC messages delivered evaluation research is urgently needed [9, 10]. Male Female Ethnic group Khmer Cham Vietnamese Live in a house that owns a radio a television Province Battambang Pailin Kampong Speu Anyone from household travelled in past 6 months Marital status Single-never married Married Widowed Divorced/separated Married but not living together Occupation Agricultural labourer Seller Fisherman Forestry worker (logging) Farmer Housewife Government staff Other Level of education Never attended school 1–3 years 3 years or more University level Don’t know 40.9 (12–77)
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