Research
Investigating preferences for mosquito-control technologies in Mozambique with latent class analysis
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* Corresponding author: Rachel A Smith ras57@psu.edu
1 Department of Communication Arts & Sciences and the Methodology Center, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
2 Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
3 Department of Biology, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
4 Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology and Population Research Institute, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
Malaria Journal 2011, 10:200 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-10-200
Published: 21 July 2011Abstract
Background
It is common practice to seek the opinions of future end-users during the development of innovations. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate latent classes of users in Mozambique based on their preferences for mosquito-control technology attributes and covariates of these classes, as well as to explore which current technologies meet these preferences.
Methods
Surveys were administered in five rural villages in Mozambique. The data were analysed with latent class analysis.
Results
This study showed that users' preferences for malaria technologies varied, and people could be categorized into four latent classes based on shared preferences. The largest class, constituting almost half of the respondents, would not avoid a mosquito-control technology because of its cost, heat, odour, potential to make other health issues worse, ease of keeping clean, or inadequate mosquito control. The other three groups are characterized by the attributes which would make them avoid a technology; these groups are labelled as the bites class, by-products class, and multiple-concerns class. Statistically significant covariates included literacy, self-efficacy, willingness to try new technologies, and perceived seriousness of malaria for the household.
Conclusions
To become widely diffused, best practices suggest that end-users should be included in product development to ensure that preferred attributes or traits are considered. This study demonstrates that end-user preferences can be very different and that one malaria control technology will not satisfy everyone.