Ownership, Usage and Barriers to Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets Among Women Attending Antenatal Care in a Tertiary Health Facility in Ogun State

Abstract

Pregnant women are among the most vulnerable to malaria, a disease endemic in Nigeria. Untreated malaria in pregnancy causes a substantial increase in maternal, foetal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) are essential for preventing malaria infection.This study assessed the ownership, usage and barriers to using LLINs among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) in a tertiary health centre in Ogun State. Ahospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic. Data was collectedfrom 297 women selected by systematic random sampling technique using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire after obtaining informed consent. Analysis was done using the IBM SPSS version 25, and results were presented in tables and charts. This study showed that out of the 297 respondents, a hundred and sixty-six (55.9%) had LLINs, and less than half 140 (47.1%) had ever used it in the index pregnancy. About 7 in 10 of respondents with the LLINs used it the previous night, and the major barriers identified were that LLINs are  unnecessary 8 (30.8%), cause heat 10 (38.5%) and discomfort 4 (15.4%). In conclusion, the study showed that ownership and utilization of LLINs was suboptimal among pregnant women in Ogun State; hence, there is a need for more awareness campaigns to educate pregnant women and their spouses on the dangers of malaria and the benefits of using LLINs in addition to other preventive practices.