Is education a determinant of knowledge about malaria among Indian tribal population?

Malaria is a major public health problem in tribal villages of India, where 8% of the country's population lives. Literacy level among tribal population is very low. This study aims to examine the relation between education status and knowledge about malaria among Indian tribal communities. 125 randomly selected tribal respondents from one tribal village each of 17 states were administered a close ended questionnaire by trained interviewers to assess their knowledge about various aspects of malaria. Effect of educational status on the level of knowledge was analyzed using chi square test. Stratified analysis was performed using Mantel Haenszel chi square test to eliminate gender bias. 2125 respondents', randomly selected from 17 tribal villages in as many states, findings were analyzed. Fifty seven percent male and 72% female respondents were illiterate. Only 2% respondents had college level education. Educated females were more knowledgeable than their male counterparts. Mantel Haenszel chi square analysis showed that educated respondents were more knowledgeable than the illiterates, after adjusting for sex of respondents. However, there was gross lack of knowledge regarding diagnosis and treatment of malaria and use of insecticides irrespective of gender and educational status. Improvement in literacy status of tribal population will help in increasing awareness about malaria. Opportunities for disseminating information about various aspects of malaria should be utilized during treatment of malaria cases by health workers.