Table 3 Patients’, drug and condition, and health facilities/workers’ related characteristics among uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria patients in AsgedeTsimbla, Tigray, Ethiopia, 2018 (n = 384)
Variable | Frequency n(%) |
|---|---|
Patients’ related characteristics | |
Suspected malaria symptoms | |
Sought treatment at health facility | 303 (78.91) |
Purchased drug from a drug shop | 77 (21.08) |
Used herbal medicine | 4 (0.01) |
Knew malaria was a severe/fatal disease | |
Yes | 284 (73.9) |
No | 100 (26.1) |
Have you ever used AL treatment | |
Yes | 288 (75) |
No | 96 (25) |
Knew Coartem® treated malaria effectively | |
Yes | 342 (89) |
No | 42 (11) |
Recalled correct AL dose | |
Yes | 376 (97.9) |
No | 8 (2.1) |
Recalled correct AL dose timing | |
Yes | 328 (85.4) |
No | 56 (14.6) |
Recalled AL side effects | |
Yes | 80 (20.8) |
No | 304 (79.2) |
Perceived preference of drug formulation | |
Tablet | 188 (49) |
Syrup | 112 (29.1) |
Injection | 84 (21.9) |
Drug and condition related characteristics | |
Improved during the household visit | |
Yes | 346 (90) |
No | 38 (10) |
Knew the consequences of not finishing AL treatment | |
Yes | 132 (34.4) |
No | 252 (65.6) |
Had concomitant drugs | |
Yes | 164 (42.7) |
No | 220 (57.3) |
Did AL treatment have too many tablets | |
Yes | 214 (55.7) |
No | 170 (44.3) |
Had AL bitter taste | |
Yes | 202 (52.6) |
No | 182 (47.4) |
Vomited within 30 min of ingestion | |
Repeated the dose | 196 (51) |
Waited until the next dose | 188 (49) |
Improved before tablets got finished | |
Continued until the full dose was finished | 238 (62) |
Stopped the medication/saved tablet for future | 146 (38) |
Worsened before tablets got finished | |
Returned to a health facility | 304 (79.2) |
Continued until tablets got finished | 39 (10.1) |
Used herbal medicine | 26 (6.7) |
Took more dose than prescribed | 15 (3.9) |
Knew AL was taken with fatty food or milk | |
Yes | 120 (31.2) |
No | 264 (68.8) |
Health facilities/workers related characteristics | |
Treatment received | |
At health center | 222 (57.8) |
At health post | 162 (42.2) |
The first dose of AL was taken at | |
Home | 326 (84.9) |
Health facility | 58 (15.1) |
Got instruction on how to take the drug | |
Yes | 384 (100) |
Method of instruction given | |
Verbal only | 158 (41.1) |
Verbal and written | 184 (47.9) |
Package was used as a visual aid | 42 (10.9) |
Got a chance to repeat AL prescription instruction | |
Yes | 99 (25.8) |
No | 285 (74.2) |