Evaluating the Relationship between Socio-Demographic Factors, Knowledge, Ownership and Usage of Long- Lasting Insecticide- Treated Bed Nets among Pregnant Mothers in Rivers State University Teaching Hospital

Background: Malaria is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and of public health concern. Long- lasting insecticide- treated bed nets (LLINs) is an effective method of prevention and control of malaria.

Aim: To determine the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics of antenatal clinic attendees and their knowledge, ownership and utilization of LLINs.

Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of a cross sectional study of 384 pregnant mothers receiving antenatal care in RSUTH over a 3-month period. Data were sorted, coded and analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. The association between socio-demographic characteristics, and knowledge, ownership and utilization of LLINs was carried out using Pearson Chi-square test and Fisher exact test where appropriate, at a statistical significance level of P < .05.

Results: Data of 384 pregnant women that participated in the study were analyzed. The strong predictors of knowledge of LLINs were participants’ educational status and religion (P < .001 and P < .001) respectively; followed by age [P = .010 (95%CI: .012, .016)] and occupation [P = .017 (95%CI: .020, .026)]. There was no significant association between ‘knowledge’, and parity [P = .37 (95% CI: .34, .36)], and gestational age [P = .35 (95% CI: .34, .36] of the participants. The strong predictors of ownership and utilization of LLINs were the participants’ age (P < .001) and occupation (P < .001); other statistically significant factors found were parity, educational status, and religion (P = .002, P = .015, P = .044) and (P = .007, P = .002, P = .024) respectively. Overall, there was no evidence of association between ownership and utilization of LLINs and gestational age [P = .212 (95% CI: .177, .192) and P = .392 (95% CI: .391, .410)] respectively.

Conclusion: Socio-demographic factors such as age, occupation, educational status and religion are predictors of knowledge, ownership and utilization of LLINs. As such, they are pertinent when planning enlightenment/ education programmes on the use of LLINs for malaria prevention and control.