title: Greater Adherence to Mass Drug Administration Against Lymphatic Filariasis through Traditional Village Forums in Fiji.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to elucidate the roles of knowledge related to lymphatic filariasis (LF), contributions of taking roles in community activities to eradicate LF and participation in traditional village forums in adherence to mass drug administration (MDA) in a preventive chemotherapy program targeted at the community residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey on ingestion of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and albendazole (ALB), knowledge related to LF, taking roles in community activities and participation in traditional village forums was carried out for 400 adult subjects randomly selected from the Central Division of Fiji within three months after the MDA campaign in 2010 in the respective communities. Multilevel logistic regression analysis and multilevel linear regression analysis were performed to examine relationships between knowledge, community activities, traditional village forums and ingestion of anti-filarial drugs. The LF knowledge score was defined as a factor score of five knowledge variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 324 respondents, 40.4% of them ingested both DEC and ALB. Participation in traditional village forums was independently and significantly related to ingestion of DEC and ALB (OR=1.78, 95% CI=1.04-3.05) and taking roles in community activities for MDA (OR=1.87, 95% CI=1.18-2.94), regardless of the subject's gender, education, knowledge and taking roles in community activities. Taking roles in community activities for MDA was independently related to the LF knowledge score (β=0.24, 95% CI=0.15-0.33).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participation in traditional village forums in Fiji was related to taking roles in community activities for MDA and associated with adherence to MDA regimen regardless of the educational attainment of the individual residents.
authors: International Health Section, Division of Public Health, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan ; Environmental Health Unit, Fiji Centre for Communicable Disease Control, Suva, Fiji.
authors: Anasaini
authors: A
authors: Moala-Silatolu
authors: International Health Section, Division of Public Health, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Keiko
authors: K
authors: Nakamura
authors: International Health Section, Division of Public Health, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Kaoruko
authors: K
authors: Seino
authors: Health Promotion Section, Division of Public Health, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Masashi
authors: M
authors: Kizuki
keywords: adherence; lymphatic filariasis; mass drug administration; traditional village forums
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