Factors associated with malaria infection of endemic area in 2015, Ratchaburi Province

Abstract

This is an analytical case-control study. The research aimed to identify the factors of malaria infection in Ratchaburi’s population. There were 440 participants in the study who were 15 years old or older who have lived in Ratchaburi Province; divided into two groups, 220 cases group of malaria infection who were infected during 1st January to 31th December 2015, and 220 controls group of non-malarial infected (control group). Data were collected by interview questionnaire using interviewing. Multiple conditional logistic regression was analyzed to determine the relationship with malaria infection and presented by OR with 95% confidence interval. The results showed that factors significantly associated with malaria infection (p<0.05) were: not receiving information about malaria (ORadj = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.052-4.408), duration of living in the area less than 16 years (ORadj = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.254-6.978), having workplace in the forest or garden and near water resource (ORadj = 4.06, 95% CI: 1.812-9.087), not using nets (ORadj = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.146-4.986), entering and staying overnight in the forest or garden and near water reservoir (ORadj = 3.45, 95% CI: 1.672-7.102), unsprayed house (ORadj = 2.76, 95% CI: 1.118-6.821) and regular defecation in the forest or garden and near water reservoir (ORadj = 3.47, 95% CI: 1.787-6.740) and the knowledge and perception did not significantly associate with malaria infection (adjusted OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 0.930-3.098). The malaria risk might be reduced by the active surveillance system for screening population at risk crossing the Thai-Myanmar border or staying overnight in risk area, promotion of long-lasting insecticidal nets or hammock nets, mosquito repellent when defecation outside the home, indoor residual spraying, malaria information media in local language by development a network of foreign volunteers to provide