Background
Methods
Study settings
Data collection procedures and study participants
Venue | Interview length (min) | Sample size | Age range | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus Group Discussions | Community house | 45 | 6 groups including 3 female youth groups 2 male youth groups 1 mixed youth group Total: 30 discussants | 16–31 |
Key Informant Interviews | Dispensary | 30–45 | 10 informants including 5 females 5 males | 21–65 |
In-Depth Interviews | Community ground | 20–120 | 17 interviewees including 9 females 8 males | 16–67 |
N = 57 | N | Percentage of participants (%) |
---|---|---|
Gender | ||
Female | 33 | 57.9 |
Male | 24 | 42.1 |
Age group | ||
<20 | 17 | 29.8 |
20–40 | 27 | 47.4 |
41–60 | 9 | 15.8 |
>60 | 4 | 7.0 |
Education | ||
Primary | 57 | 100.0 |
Secondary | 33 | 57.9 |
Post-secondary | 4 | 7.0 |
Religious affiliation | ||
Presbyterian | 34 | 59.6 |
Seventh-day Adventist | 11 | 19.3 |
Catholic | 7 | 12.3 |
Unspecified | 5 | 8.8 |
Data analysis
Ethical considerations
Results
Participant perceptions related to personal resources
Theme 1: Knowledge
“I am very afraid of malaria because I was infected with P. vivax in 2002 on Tanna Island. I had a high fever and sever pain. So, I go to the dispensary right away when I have a fever.” (Female KII, Analgaut)“I was diagnosed with P. vivax at Vila when I was 14 years old. I am afraid of malaria. Malaria causes headache, fever and aches. Malarial fever is different from other fevers. I try to prevent malaria. I have a spare net for future use.” (Female IDI, Analgaut)
“We can avoid mosquito bites, but we cannot control people. So, everyone on this island should be tested more frequently to maintain a healthy environment, because many strangers walk around the village.” (Male KII, Analgaut)
“We do not think a malaria-free environment will increase the number of tourists. We do not see the relationship between a malaria-free island and tourism. Why do you ask?” (Female FGD, Analgaut)“We prevent malaria for ourselves. We do not prevent malaria for foreigners.” (Male KII, Analgaut)
Theme 2: Skills
“Three to five times a week, people turned up late for a test because of bad weather and location.” (Male KII, Analgaut)“When it rains hard, it is difficult to go to the main village. I will check my blood later.” (Male IDI, Port Patrick)
“Many people travel on foot. If people have money, they will take a taxi boat from Port Patrick to the dispensary or they will take an airplane to the hospitals on Tanna and in Port Vila. They can borrow money from their extended families. Otherwise, they will walk or ask strong men to help.” (Female KII, Analgaut)“Travelling by taxi boat is expensive. All my families walk to the dispensary. We have relatives living in the main village, so we can stay at their house.” (Female IDI, Port Patrick)
“Some young people do not buy nets. They are crazy. Information sharing is very important.” (Female IDI, a small village near Analgaut).
“Some people do not read the notice. Picture-based instructions will help promote a better understanding. Several languages are spoken on this island. That sometimes makes things difficult. Face-to-face communication is the best way to communicate with people.” (Female KII, Analgaut)
“We will prevent malaria. In the past, many people were killed or taken. Now we try to strengthen our system and develop our future leaders.” (Male KII, Analgaut)
“To keep people informed is very important, then the communities can do for themselves.” (Female KII, Analgaut)
“I will go to school to be a nurse, because we have no female nurse on the island.” (Female IDI, Analgaut)“Most people need money on this island, and I have five children. I work on a contract basis. I want to contribute to the communities. I need more training to become a mentor. And then I will train younger generation.” (Male KII, Analgaut)
Participant perceptions related to social-contextual resources
Social services
Theme 3: An existing local health coalition
“Health Facilities have no drugs, no water and no female nurse. A community radio is broken. We have many problems so prevention is very important. Prevention is better than cure.” (Female KII, Analgaut)
“I talk with my husband when I have health problems. And my husband will talk to a male nurse. I do not want to talk about my health with other males.” (Female IDI, Port Patrick)
“We just decided to start a tidy village campaign this year. This campaign is held on Tuesdays. Households, students and parents have a clean-up day. The competition takes place every two to three months. Primary and secondary students will pick up trash and count the number. Area is divided into four parts. We manage our campaign.” (Female KII, Analgaut)
“When a chief blows a conch shell, people gather. He gives information to all members once in a month. Now, this village has developed. Many health staff visit this village. Chiefs work together with them.” (Female IDI, a small village near Analgaut)
“My clan, the biggest clan on the island, has more than 300 members. We talk and decide everything.” (Male IDI, Analgaut)“There are three or four tribes in my area. We share the land and live close. So we help each other to solve the health problems.” (Male IDI, Port Patrick)“People follow their family rules and practice their religion to live a healthy lifestyle. Head of the family is not a job for a woman. Women are responsible for child-rearing, cooking and weaving. Men make the final decisions.” (Male IDI, Unmet)
Support networks
Theme 4: Sources of information
Theme 5: Sources of assistance
“For example, a big sister will ask me to help if her daughters are unavailable. I will ask her to help me in time of need. Some people will ask their cousins or relatives. We are neighbors and friends. We support each other when someone has a health problem. This is our system.” (Female KII, Analgaut)
“When I have health problems, more than ten friends in my neighbourhood support me. Friends mean kin or extended families to support one another. If I shout for help, they will come and take me to the dispensary.” (Male IDI, Port Patrick)