Summary
Objective: This study assessed interactions between human beings and their immediate micro-ecological
environment with regard to malaria transmission at the household level.
Methods: Malaria cases and their controls were sampled from a local health care facility.
A spot check of potential risk factors for malaria around the subjects’ dwelling places
was done. A standardized questionnaire was administered to investigate human behavior
that could lead to increased risk of malaria.
Results: Outdoor activities at night, living in houses with eaves, keeping cattle close to
human dwellings and presence of stagnant water around the homesteads were associated
with increased risk of malaria.
Conclusion: Living in houses with open eaves and being out at night were found to influence malaria
incidences at household level.
Keywords
Malaria and housing - environmental risks - behavioral risk factors
