Effect of Behaviour change communication (BCC) on knowledge and prevention of malaria among women in Ghana

Abstract

Behaviour change communication (BCC) remains a central component of theinterventions used in the fight against malaria in Ghana. However, there islimited evidence of its effectiveness. This study evaluated the effects of BCCstrategies on knowledge (symptoms, causes and prevention) and overallknowledge of malaria among Ghanaian women aged 15–49 years. Thepropensity score matching (PSM) approach and logistic regression were usedto analyse data from the 2016 edition of the Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS).Women who participated in community-level education or heard/saw mediamessages on malaria, or both, had significantly more knowledge of the diseasethan women who lacked access to any of these mediums of communication.The effect of these strategies on women’s overall knowledge of malaria isabout 2% to 4% and is higher on their knowledge of the symptoms (3% to 6%)and prevention (2% to 4%) than the causes (2%). The combined effects of both mediums of communication are relatively higher than the effect of either ofthem as a single medium of communication. Further analysis showed thatimproved knowledge of the disease is associated with higher preventivemeasures taken by women for themselves and for their children. The resultsare more significant in rural and poor households than in urban and non-poorhouseholds. These findings underscore the need for the Ministry of Healthand its partner institutions to adopt an innovative approach which combinesthe two strategies in intensively educating Ghanaians, and women in par-ticular, on the symptoms and prevention of malaria, giving due cognisance tohouseholds’ socioeconomic status and geographical location