Table 1.
Description of the main themes and concepts investigated in the survey to assess knowledge and perceptions on mosquitoes, mosquito swarms and malaria transmission
| Concepts investigated | Specific questions asked by the interviewer | Relevance of the concepts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perception of risks associated with mosquitoes | How big is the mosquito problem in your home/village? | Assessment of knowledge and perception of risk and vulnerability towards mosquitoes and malaria |
| What diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes? | |||
| Have you or anyone in your family gotten malaria over the past 12 months? | |||
| 2 | Burden of malaria, the interventions currently being used and costs incurred by households | How do you protect yourself or your family from mosquito bites? | Estimation of burden of malaria and the cost of treatment and prevention incurred by households |
| How much did you spend for protecting against mosquito bites over the past 12 months? | |||
| How many members of your household have gotten malaria over the past 12 months? | |||
| How much did you spend on malaria treatment over the past 12 months | |||
| 3 | Knowledge and perception about mosquito swarms and perceived risks associated with the swarms | Have you ever seen mosquito swarms (the interviewer described using gestures what he/she meant by swarms)? | Assessment of knowledge, awareness and perceptions regarding mosquito swarms and any risks associated with swarms |
| What places did you see mosquito swarms? | |||
| What time of the day did you see mosquito swarms? | |||
| What do you think mosquitoes do when they swarm? | |||
| Do you think swarming mosquitoes are dangerous? | |||
| 4 | Acceptance and willingness to pay for interventions that target mosquito swarms | Do you think mosquito swarms should be prevented? | Assessment of the need for swarm-targeting interventions and willingness to use and contribute towards associated costs |
| Would you be willing to use an intervention that would kill mosquito swarms? | |||
| Would you be willing to make financial contributions towards these interventions | |||
| How much would you be willing to pay annually for an intervention that effectively kills mosquito swarms? |
This survey was administered to 307 community members in Ulanga and Kilombero districts, Tanzania