Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41029380›Full record

Trial reportMalaria journal2025

"Fighting against malaria is everyone's concern": a randomized control trial assessing the role of incentives for encouraging local communities to record and upload mosquito sounds using the MozzWear application.

Winifrida P Mponzi, Rinita Dam, Dickson Msaky, Yohana Mwalugelo, Marianne Sinka, Ivan Kiskin, Eva Herreros-Moya, Stephen Roberts, Kathy Willis, Emmanuel W Kaindoa

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Malaria journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Winifrida P MponziEnvironmental Health and Ecological Science Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 53, Ifakara, Tanzania. wmponzi@ihi.or.tz.
Rinita DamWarwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
Dickson MsakyEnvironmental Health and Ecological Science Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 53, Ifakara, Tanzania.
Yohana MwalugeloEnvironmental Health and Ecological Science Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 53, Ifakara, Tanzania.
Marianne SinkaDepartment of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Ivan KiskinDepartment of Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Eva Herreros-MoyaDepartment of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Stephen RobertsDepartment of Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Kathy WillisDepartment of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Emmanuel W KaindoaEnvironmental Health and Ecological Science Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 53, Ifakara, Tanzania.

Funding

This study was funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) awarded to KW, and sub awarded to EK of Ifakara Health Institute OPP120988
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCurrent malaria surveillance methods are considered too expensive to scale-up within limited-resource settings; hence, new technologies and approaches are necessary to maximize the collection of data and ultimately design new malaria control tools. Effective mosquito surveillance can be enhanced through the utilization of digital technologies and the engagement of citizens in real-time data collection. This study used the HumBug acoustic sensor with the MozzWear app to detect and identify host-seeking mosquitoes based on their flight sounds, with citizens receiving airtime incentives for recording and uploading sounds.

methodsA randomized controlled trial was used to assess the role of incentives to encourage the local community to record and upload mosquito sounds using the MozzWear application. Participants were randomized into two groups: (1) a control group, in which no incentive was provided; and (2) an incentive group, in which airtime credit was provided to participants. Both groups were provided with HumBug smartphones running the MozzWear app plus adapted mosquito bed nets ('HumBug Nets') to hold the phones during recording and were asked to record and upload mosquito flight tone data once per week for a period of four months. The intervention group was rewarded with an airtime incentive every week after the data were uploaded. At the end of the study, an experience survey was administered to participants in both groups to assess their experience participating in this study.

resultsThe overall results indicate that the control group performed well in terms of the number of nights spent recording and uploading data compared to the incentive group. The level of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation differs between demographic variables. Their feedback suggested that fighting against malaria was more important and was everyone's concern in rural Tanzania. In addition, the participants expressed their interest in being involved in future research related to mosquito surveillance and the fight against malaria.

conclusionCitizens can play a valuable role in scientific research; even without giving them incentives, they can still participate in the study. By participating in mosquito surveillance and malaria prevention studies, community members can make significant contributions to addressing mosquito-borne diseases and improving health outcomes.

Indexed as

AnophelesMalariaMobile ApplicationsMosquito ControlMosquito VectorsMotivationSoundAdolescentAdultAnimalsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedTanzaniaYoung AdultCitizen scienceCommunityMosquito surveillanceMozzWear applicationRandomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID41029380
PMCPMC12486566

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.