An interventional study of Monastery-based health education by Buddhist monks in Buddhist Monks, Health Education and Malaria, sponsored by Myanmar Health Network Organization. Completed at 1 site in Myanmar. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-04-29.
Sponsored by Myanmar Health Network Organization · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
Malaria is still a leading public health concern in Myanmar. However, people living in rural areas usually showed poor prevention practice despite residing in malaria hotspots. The majority in Myanmar are Buddhists who frequently visit the monastery and receive the speech delivered by the monks. In a malaria high burden township of the Sagaing Region from northern Myanmar, current study will first explore the difference in malaria preventive practices among people residing in different malaria-endemic villages through a mixed-methods approach. Next, this research will address the knowledge gaps by a monastery-based health education delivered by trained Buddhist monks using standardized health messages instruction for six consecutive months between August 2022 to January 2023. To test whether the intervention could balance those gaps among different groups, quantitative data of baseline, 3-month, and 6-month will be compared using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, T-test or repeated ANOVA, and the Difference-In-Differences (DID) analysis, as applicable.
For educational intervention; - voluntary participation
For questionnaire surveys;
Exclusion Criteria:
For questionnaire surveys;
The education sessions were conducted in Burmese by trained monks. They followed the normal teachings of the Buddhist doctrine and typically lasted 30-40 minutes. Our research utilized Burmese as the medium for delivering health messages, and all accompanying materials were meticulously prepared in Burmese. The study team observed at least one to two education sessions in each study village.
Behavioral: Monastery-based health education by Buddhist monks
Participants in the control group just received routine malaria control services such as diagnostic, treatment and bed net distribution.
During the three-month intervention from July to September 2022, a total of 18 health education sessions were conducted across the three intervention villages, with an average of 50 attendees per session, totaling 921 attendees across all sessions.
Malaria knowledge and preventive practices
To assess pre-existing malaria knowledge and preventive practices among both intervention and control groups, pre-intervention surveys were conducted. Subsequently, three- and six-month post-intervention surveys were conducted to evaluate changes following the intervention. A validated questionnaire translated from English to Burmese was used. The questionnaire comprised three sections: demographic information of the respondents, knowledge of malaria and preventive practices. Each section had multiple small questions, and each correct answer was scored. The resultant scores were aggregated, wherein every participant had the potential to accrue a maximum of ten points pertaining to the attribution of malaria causation, symptoms of malaria, and adoption of personal preventative measures against malaria. The participants were eligible to secure eight points in the domain of malaria diagnosis and treatment, alongside twelve scores for the use of LLINs.
Time frame: Pre intervention (July 2022), 3-month post-intervention (Dec 2022) and 6-month post-intervention (Mar 2023)
Plan to share: Undecided
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