PREDICTORS OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS’ KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES ON UNCOMPLICATED MALARIA IN PRIMARY HEALTHCARE SETTINGS OF PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

The quality of treatment and management of uncomplicated malaria depends on healthcare workers’ and patients’ characteristics, in addition to resource availability. This study assessed predictors of healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on uncomplicated malaria in primary healthcare (PHC) facilities in Plateau state, Nigeria. Secondary data of 289 healthcare workers involved in the management of the disease in PHC facilities of Plateau state were used for the study. Also, data on the availability of material resources for managing the disease in the PHC facilities were collected using a facility review form (FRF). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of healthcare workers’ KAP on uncomplicated malaria. The findings revealed age (years old) (p = 0.032), occupation (p = 0.004), monthly salary (p = 0.021), availability of required drugs (p = 0.046), and practices (p = 0.001) as significant predictors of healthcare workers’ knowledge on uncomplicated malaria, with only monthly salary (p = 0.049) predicting their attitudes on the disease and its management. Their gender (p = 0.036), age (years old) (p < 0.001), and duration of experiences (p = 0.014) also predicted their treatment practices rendered to patients. Healthcare workers’ KAP was predicted by the availability of anti-malarial drugs and the studied respondents’ characteristics. Interventions are recommended to make available the recommended ACTs and also increase respondents’ KAP on the disease and its treatment and management.