Acceptability and feasibility of the school-engaged social and behavior change communication approach on malaria prevention in Ethiopia: implications for engagement, empowerment, and retention (EER) of education sectors in malaria elimination efforts

BACKGROUND: Evidence on process outcomes such as acceptability, and feasibility of behavior change communication interventions are important in program evaluation to understand how, and why such a program works. However; documented evidence on the issue is not available as far as the social and behavior change communication (SBCC) on malaria is concerned. Enrolling the frontline providers this study measured the acceptability and feasibility of the school-engaged SBCC strategy on malaria prevention in malaria-endemic settings of Ethiopia. METHODS: A school-engaged SBCC strategy involving various communication and capacity-building interventions aimed to advance malaria preventive practices in primary schools in Jimma were implemented from 2017 to 2019. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 205 key stakeholders at the end of the intervention. Both acceptability and feasibility were measured using standardized tools. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and filled by the study participants. The SPSS version 26 was used to analyze the data. Multivariate general linear modeling was performed to identify the predictors of acceptability and feasibility of the program. P-value < 5% was considered to decide statistical significance. RESULTS: The result showed the mean scores (M, range = R) of acceptability and feasibility of the program were (M = 25.63, R = 6 to 30) and (M = 19.35, R = 5 to 25) respectively. The multivariate linear modeling showed acceptability was affected by self-efficacy; (β = 0.438, P < 0.001), community support; (β = 0.417, P < 0.001), school climate; (β = − 0.16; P = 0.003), perceived malaria threat; (β = 0.40, P < 0.001) and knowledge; (β = 0.229, P = 0.013). Similarly, feasibility was influenced by self-efficacy; (β = 0.352, P < 0.001), community support; (β = 0.591, P < 0.001), school climate; (β = − 0.099, P-value < 0.030) and perceived malaria threat; (β = 0.172, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: With a considerably high level of acceptability, the school-engaged SBCC strategy to enhance malaria preventive practices seems feasible. The SBCC strategy targeting personal factors such as malaria threat perceptions, knowledge and skills on the program, and contextual factors that include school social climate and community support would be fruitful to facilitate the implementation of the program. The result implicates the benefit of intensifying such a strategy to engage, empower, and retain the education sectors in malaria elimination efforts and beyond. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-11995-z.