Diffusion of Innovations and Utilisation of Malaria Prevention Information among rural population in Nigeria.

The acceptance that communication has a significant role to play in every initiative against the elimination of malaria led to the adoption of the Global Strategic Plan on Roll Back Malaria, (2005-2015) also domesticated as the Nigeria National Malaria Strategic Plan (2014-2020).  Thus, RBM and other Partners, using Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations templates, deployed communication messages to various populations, among them rural dwellers, in Oyo and Osun states with the aim of creating awareness about malaria prevention and encouraging the adoption of preventive behaviours. This study, anchored on Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations, investigated the outcome, employing Survey, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Key Informant Interview (KII). It surveyed 2,200 household members drawn from 10 local government areas of Oyo and Osun states using multi-stage sampling. The FGD was made of 96 participants in 16 focus groups involving men, women and expectant mothers selected purposively. There were eight KII. Findings indicate that RBM and Partners in Oyo and Osun states used mass media and interpersonal channels, including Change Agents, to communicate the messages about malaria prevention among their target audience. However, there was a significant difference in the frequency of receiving information on malaria prevention from the information sources identified by respondents (Chi-square=2801.1, df=13, p=0.000) and in the utilisation of malaria prevention information by respondents (Chi-square=1284.310, DF=5, p=0.000).  Access to preventive information was hampered by several extraneous factors. A Pearson correlation test established significant relationship between access to malaria prevention information and adoption of malaria preventive measures (p.value =74.009, DF=16, Asymp Sig (2-sided) =.000) and confirms key assumptions of the Diffusion of Innovations including how extraneous factors limit the possibilities of adopting an innovation and the need to reinforce information about an innovation among adopters to avoid their losing the trend. This should guide future interventions.