The determinants of malaria prevention practices in the pastoral communities of the South Omo zone, Ethiopia

Malaria, a global health problem, primarily affects people in developing countries in tropical and subtropical regions, causing severe illness and death if not treated promptly. Despite being a preventable disease, it continues to pose a significant threat to communities, such as pastoralists. As a result, this study assessed the factors that influence malaria prevention practices pastoralists in the South Omo zone, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted in the South Omo Zone in Ethiopia. A face-to-face questionnaire was used to collect data from 653 pastoral households living within five high-malaria woredas. A multistage cluster sampling technique with systematic sampling was used to select the households from different clusters. The data was analysed using SPSS version 28 for descriptive statistics, binary, and multivariable logistic regression. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that the odds of practicing at least two and possibly more malaria prevention measures were significantly higher in those with long-lasting insecticide-treated nets at home (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 7.881, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.309- 26.896), those who understood the concept of malaria prevention (AOR = 3.399, 95% CI = 2.106- 4.915), female-headed households (AOR = 1.616, 95% CI = 1.115-2.334), and middle-income households (AOR = 2.746, 95% CI = 1.534-4.915) were more likely to practice at least two and possibly more malaria prevention measures in the wealth index quantiles. Socioeconomic status, access to preventive measures, awareness of malaria prevention and households structure play significant roles in the likelihood of practicing a combination of malaria prevention measures. Therefore, efforts to reduce malaria transmission have to prioritize improving access to preventive measures and malaria prevention education, and interventions addressing socioeconomic disparities among pastoral households may aid in preventive measure adoption.