Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) of Malaria Prevention and Control among Chinese Expatriates in South Sudan

Abstract

Abstract Background:Malaria is a major health risk faced by Chinese expatriates working in South Sudan. The purpose of this study is to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of Chinese expatriates in South Sudan towards malaria prevention and control, analyze the influencing factors, and provide a basis for reducing the morbidity and mortality of malaria. Methods: By distributing questionnaires, data on socio-demographic characteristics of Chinese expatriates in South Sudan, and information on their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards malaria prevention and control were collected from April 5th to 12th, 2023. Results:Of the 402 respondents, none had a history of malaria before coming to South Sudan, the malaria infection rate was 41.29% (166/402). 72.14% of respondents were familiar with knowledge related to malaria prevention and control; 95.02% had a positive attitude towards malaria prevention and control; 89.80% would take active measures to prevent and control malaria in their daily lives. Of the six independent variables included in a binary Logistic regression model, age (OR=1.033, 95% CI: 1.006-1.061, P-value=0.016), cumulative length of time in South Sudan (OR=4.459, 95% CI: 2.650-7.502, P-value＜0.001), and knowledge scores (OR=0.873, 95% CI: 0.814-0.936, P-value＜0.001) were risk factors for contracting malaria. Conclusions: KAP of Chinese expatriates in South Sudan towards malaria prevention and control is generally excellent. Strengthening health education on malaria prevention and control is an effective, feasible, and sustainable strategy to reduce the risk of malaria.