Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding Malaria Prevention Among Secondary School Students in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria

Effective malaria prevention requires adequate knowledge, favourable attitudes, and consistent preventive practices among at-risk populations, including adolescents who are often underserved by targeted health education. This study assesses the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding malaria prevention among secondary school students in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed, recruiting 400 students from eight public secondary schools across Jos North, Mangu, and Shendam Local Government Areas using stratified random sampling. A validated self-administered questionnaire was used to assess knowledge of malaria transmission, symptoms, treatment-seeking behaviour, and use of preventive measures including insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying. Recent surveys from 2020 to 2024 document significant gaps in malaria knowledge among Nigerian secondary school students, with rural students demonstrating poorer practices than their urban counterparts. This study will produce school-level data on knowledge and practice scores and identify sociodemographic predictors of inadequate malaria prevention behaviour. Findings will be communicated to the Plateau State Ministry of Education for integration into the school health curriculum. Recommendations will support the revision of malaria health education materials to align with adolescent communication approaches. Keywords: knowledge attitude practice, malaria prevention, secondary school students, Plateau State, health education.