Prevalence And Factors Affecting Utilization Of Insecticides Treated Mosquito Nets Among Selected Parishes In Bobi Sub County, Omoro District .

Abstract

Background: Insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) have been shown to significantly reduce malaria-related morbidity which is one of the causes of child mortality across a range of transmission settings in Africa. With increased funding from international donors, efforts are currently underway to roll-out ITNs to vulnerable populations at risk of malaria across sub- Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly children younger than 5 years old and pregnant women.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence and factors affecting acceptable utilization of insecticides treated mosquito nets among the community of Bobi Sub-county, Omoro District from October to November 2018 Method: A descriptive cross sectional study was employed to investigate the prevalence and factors affecting acceptable utilization of insecticides treated mosquito nets among the community of Bobi Sub-county, Omoro District from October to November 2018. A total of 100 community members from three parishes in Bobi sub-county were included in this study using multi stage method of sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20.

Results: From the assessment done, the level of utilization of the ITNs was at 64.4% among the community members. religion, marital status, level of education, occupation, number of household member, residence, number of people living in a room, household having radio or TV, family income, decision maker and availability of ITN, having ITN, number of nets in the household and knowledge on how to put the net before use every night (P<0.05).

Conclusion: The findings highlight the need for educational, informational and improving on the socio-economic status interventions of the respondents to address the factors that influence ITN utilization in pregnancy.