ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Malaria is both a social and a behavioral problem that may prompt individuals' demonstration of culturally prescribed behavioral patterns, which in turn, may contribute to their perception and treatment of the disease. OBJECTIVES: The study examines the problems associated with the ways in which students of a Nigerian university perceive malarial infection, seek treatment for the infection, and respond to available treatment options. METHODS: Data were collected using a questionnaire that was administered to 600 male and female undergraduate students in final year classes in 6 fields of study at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife: technology, environmental sciences, social sciences, humanities, health sciences, and pharmacy. An interview schedule was used to conduct an in-depth interview with 120 students who were selected using a systematic sampling technique. The research instrument was pilot tested for validity and reliability, and the items of data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: Results revealed that student respondents suffered an average of 2.33 malaria attacks per annum, with male students suffering a significantly greater number of attacks than the females (chi(2)=17.21, df=3, P=.05). Additionally, it was observed that 48% of females admitted a preference for injections over other dosage forms compared to 33.3% of their male counterparts. Injections were favored by females because of rapid onset of action and bitter taste accompanying oral dosage forms. It is worth noting, however, that even within this group, self-medication was quite prominent, suggesting that injections are used without the benefit of medical supervision in the sample population. Although no less than 54.6% of the respondents claimed to suffer from chloroquine-induced pruritus, 41% of the respondents used chloroquine preparations as their drug of choice in seeking a cure for their malarial infection, whereas only 4% used it for prevention of the diseases. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there is no noticeable difference in the perception of malaria between male and female students; however, there is a significant difference between the frequency of attacks in the 2 groups, and this may have considerable influence on the ways male and female subjects treat the infection and their subsequent response to treatment.