The main objective of this study was to assess sources and channels rural communities use to access health information on Schistosomiasis in Ukerewe District, Tanzania. The study adopted a convergent parallel design. The sample size for this study was 399. Multistage sampling was used to select 399 respondents, and purposive sampling was used to select 7 key informants. Interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires were used to collect data. SPSS version 29 was used for quantitative data analysis, while NVivo software version 9 was used to analyse qualitative data thematically. The findings indicate rural communities frequently access and use information on schistosomiasis through informal sources, such as family members, friends/peers, vijiwe vya kahawa, religious leaders, and village/local leaders. The study findings further revealed that the factors influencing their choice of information sources were ease of access, affordability, and availability. The findings further suggested that rural residents prefer information sources that do not require technical skills to use, are low-cost and are consistently accessible. Based on the findings, the study concludes that rural communities have diverse and unmet health information needs, driven by the use of informal sources that may provide misleading information. The study further concludes that these sources and channels are ineffective at disseminating information to rural communities. The study recommends that the government allocate sufficient funds to print and distribute leaflets, posters, and brochures to community members. The study further recommends that the government should establish medical libraries, expand internet access and improve mobile networks in rural areas.
BT - THE DarTU JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND EDUCATION DA - 08/2026 IS - 1 LA - ENG M3 - Article N2 -The main objective of this study was to assess sources and channels rural communities use to access health information on Schistosomiasis in Ukerewe District, Tanzania. The study adopted a convergent parallel design. The sample size for this study was 399. Multistage sampling was used to select 399 respondents, and purposive sampling was used to select 7 key informants. Interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires were used to collect data. SPSS version 29 was used for quantitative data analysis, while NVivo software version 9 was used to analyse qualitative data thematically. The findings indicate rural communities frequently access and use information on schistosomiasis through informal sources, such as family members, friends/peers, vijiwe vya kahawa, religious leaders, and village/local leaders. The study findings further revealed that the factors influencing their choice of information sources were ease of access, affordability, and availability. The findings further suggested that rural residents prefer information sources that do not require technical skills to use, are low-cost and are consistently accessible. Based on the findings, the study concludes that rural communities have diverse and unmet health information needs, driven by the use of informal sources that may provide misleading information. The study further concludes that these sources and channels are ineffective at disseminating information to rural communities. The study recommends that the government allocate sufficient funds to print and distribute leaflets, posters, and brochures to community members. The study further recommends that the government should establish medical libraries, expand internet access and improve mobile networks in rural areas.
PY - 2026 SP - 1 EP - 25 T2 - THE DarTU JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND EDUCATION TI - Sources and Channels Rural Communities Use to Access and Use Health Information on Schistosomiasis in Ukerewe District, Tanzania UR - https://ejournal.dartu.ac.tz/index.php/ojs-files/article/view/89/59 VL - 5 ER -