Abstract
BackgroundHousehold and environmental factors are reported to influence the malaria endemicity of a place. Hence, a careful assessment of these factors would, potentially help in locating the possible areas under risk to plan and adopt the most suitable and appropriate malaria control strategies.MethodsA cross-sectional household survey was carried out in the study site, Besant Nagar, Chennai, through random sampling method from February 2014 to February 2015. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to assess selected variables of demography, structural particulars of a household, usage of repellents, animals on site, presence of breeding habitats and any mosquito/vector breeding in the household, malaria/vector control measures undertaken by government in each houses. The data was collected through one to one personal interview method, statistically analysed overall and compared between the households/people infected with malaria within a period of 1 year and their non-infected counterparts of the same area.ResultsPresence of malaria was found to be significantly associated with the occupation, number of inhabitants, presence of a separate kitchen, availability of overhead tanks and cisterns, immatures of vector mosquitoes, presence of mosquito breeding and type of roof structures (p < 0.05). However, age, gender, usage of repellents, animals on site, number of breeding habitats or detection of vector breeding did not significantly associate with the malaria incidence/prevalence.ConclusionsThe survey revealed various demographic, household and environmental factors likely to associate with the malaria incidence/prevalence in an urban slum of Chennai. The socio-demographic and household variables have revealed disparities in malaria infection from the present cross sectional study. The absence of significant association with many parameters indicates the probable role of other confounding factors which influence the malaria prevalence.
Highlights
Household and environmental factors are reported to influence the malaria endemicity of a place
Multi-disciplinary analyses of malaria control and studies to understand the increase in malaria incidence/prevalence has reported the importance of social, economic and other contextual variables
Outcome of the household survey In total, 2471 people from 632 households were included in the survey. 90 people from 71 households were reported to have malaria during the past 1 year and 12 (16.9%) houses had more than one person infected with malaria during the past 1 year of survey
Summary
Household and environmental factors are reported to influence the malaria endemicity of a place. Multi-disciplinary analyses of malaria control and studies to understand the increase in malaria incidence/prevalence has reported the importance of social, economic and other contextual variables. The data regarding social, cultural, economic and environmental factors can form a robust platform in mapping of risk models. Utilizing these factors, generally inbuilt in the population structure, are often underestimated and analysing their potentialities in malaria endemicity of a region will be useful for long-term plans. Generally inbuilt in the population structure, are often underestimated and analysing their potentialities in malaria endemicity of a region will be useful for long-term plans It expands the current understanding of the multi-factor interactions involved in the malaria incidence/prevalence and disease transmission [4]
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