Farmers’ awareness, knowledge and utilisation of mass media –based malaria prevention information in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria: Rural–urban differences

Abstract

Malaria remains a significant public health concern in Nigeria, especially among rural farming populations with limited access to healthcare. Against this background, this study examined rural–urban differences in awareness, knowledge, and utilisation of anti-malarial messages disseminated through selected mass media channels among farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 300 respondents (150 rural and 150 urban), and data were obtained using a structured  questionnaire. Findings revealed that urban farmers had higher awareness (70%) of malariaprevention messages than rural farmers (56.7%), with radio as the most frequently cited source in both areas. However, knowledge of malaria symptoms and application of preventive measures showed a clear urban advantage. Urban farmers demonstrated higher levels of knowledge (70.0% high knowledge vs. 56.7% rural) and greater utilisation of anti-malarial practices (73.3% vs. 43.3% rural). Urban respondents used insecticides, treated nets, and anti-malarial tablets more consistently, while rural farmers showed lower uptake across all categories and relied more on bed nets. Environmental practices such as bush clearing, drainage maintenance and gutter removal recorded lower utilisation scores relative to pharmacological measures. An independent sample t-test results confirmed a significant rural–urban difference in the utilisation of anti-malarial messages (t = 2.30, p < 0.05). The study suggests that mass media are associated with higher awareness of pharmacological interventions, although structural and socio-economic gaps in rural settings, limit adoption. This underscores the need for targeted, context-specific communication strategies and community-driven approaches to strengthen malaria control.