Factors Associated with the High Malaria Burden in the Katoka Health Zone, Central Kasai Provincial Health Division, Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Abstract
Malaria remains a major public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The present study aimed to identify the explanatory factors associated with the high prevalence of malaria in the Katoka Health Zone, located in Central Kasai. A quantitative descriptive and analytical study was conducted among 180 household heads selected through a non-probability sampling approach. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages), bivariate analyses, and multivariate logistic regression in order to identify the predictive factors of malaria. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents had a low level of education and lived in unfavorable environmental conditions characterized by the presence of stagnant water and precarious housing. Although more than half of the households owned mosquito nets, their coverage remained insufficient in relation to household size, and environmental hygiene practices were inadequate. The overall level of knowledge about malaria was low. Inferential analyses confirmed that sex (χ² = 13.65; p < 0.001) and educational level (χ² = 12.72; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with the high prevalence of malaria. Multivariate analysis showed that women were approximately twice as likely to contract malaria, while a low educational level remained an independent predictive factor. Furthermore, the analysis revealed a statistically significant association between the presence of stagnant water and malaria (χ² = 17.20; p < 0.001). Households exposed to stagnant water had approximately 3.8 times higher risk of contracting malaria, making stagnant water the major predictive factor for malaria transmission.
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