Factors related to malaria infection among people in border communities in Mae Sariang district, Mae Hong Son province

Abstract

The objective of this case-control study was to determine risk of malaria infection of people resided along the Thai-Myanmar border of Mae Sariang district, Mae Hong Son Province. Cases comprised of 96 infected malaria and control was 192 non- malaria infected who came to get the service from 4 health promoting hospitals of Mae Sariang District from October 2016 to September 2017. Face-to-face interview using structured questionnaire from all studied participants was performed for data collection. The following descriptive statistics: number, percent, mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, simple and multiple binary logistic regression analysis at a significance level of 5% were applied for the analysis. The results showed that; males were at higher risk of malaria infection than females (AOR=2.42, 95% CI=1.33-4.42). People with monthly incomes of 3,000 baht or more were more likely to have malaria infection than those earning less than 3,000 baht a month (AOR=2.32, 95% CI=1.07-5.049). Those who had traveled to camp outside their residential areas were more risky than those who had never camped outside their residential areas (AOR=2.23, 95% CI=1.34-3.70). Those who camp or live in risk areas more likely to be at risk than those who had never camped or lived in a high-risk area (AOR=4.76, 95%CI=2.51-9.03). And those who are not clothed to cover their bodies they were more at risk than those who wore clothing to cover their bodies (AOR=4.81, 95%CI=2.00-11.57). People living along Thai-Myanmar border are suggested to focus on taking care of them self and family members on wearing clothes that cover the body completely whenever staying overnight outside the residential area or enter the risky area including changing behaviors to prevent and control malaria, such as sleeping in mosquito nets, using anti-mosquito materials such as chemicals or herbs.