The Effect of a Health Literacy Program on Malaria Elimination among Village Health Volunteers in a Border Area of Surin Province

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the impact of a Health Literacy Development Program on accelerating malaria eradication among village health volunteers (VHVs) in the border districts of Surin Province during the fiscal year 2023. The program, originally developed and implemented in Nong Bua Rawe District, Chaiyaphum Province, was adapted for this study and served as the primary research instrument. A total of 90 participants were included in the study, comprising 45 individuals from high-risk areas and 45 from low-risk areas. Data were collected over three months and included two components: general information and the VHVs’ health literacy related to accelerated malaria elimination. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests.

Results showed that participants in both high- and low-risk areas were predominantly female (91.1% and 88.5%), married (71.1% and 68.8%), and engaged in farming (91.1% and 84.4%). Most had completed secondary education (51.2% and 48.9%), with 42.9% and 21.8% having served as VHVs for 11–20 years. Chronic illnesses were reported in 29.2% and 28.9% of participants in high-risk and low-risk areas, respectively. Comparison of mean health literacy scores before and after program participation revealed statistically significant improvements at the 0.05 level in both groups. In the high-risk group, the mean score increased from 133.06 to 144.02, while in the low-risk group, it increased from 131.93 to 146.29. These findings indicate that the program effectively enhanced health literacy. Continued implementation and periodic evaluation are recommended to maintain alignment with changing local contexts and to sustain health literacy related to malaria elimination in both high- and low-risk areas. Future program development should also include assessments of health behavior outcomes.