Awareness, Acceptability and Use of Insecticide-treated Mosquito Nets among Women Attending Antenatal Care Clinic in a Tertiary Hospital in North-Western Nigeria

Abstract Background: Insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITMNs) are the most widely used interventions for malaria control in Africa. Aim: This study aims to determine the level of awareness, acceptability and utilisation of ITMNs for malaria prevention among pregnant women. Materials and Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted among 299 randomly selected pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic from 15 August to 14 October 2022. A semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information from the participants. Results: A total of 299 pregnant women with a mean age of 28 ± 6.1 years participated in the study. Among the respondents, 90% had good knowledge of malaria being caused by mosquitoes and 90% were aware of the ITMNs. The main source of information was from the media outlets. The level of acceptance of ITMNs for prevention of malaria was 97%. The rate of utilisation of ITMNs was 82.3%, and consistent use was reported in more than half of the respondents with 69.8% being before pregnancy. The major reasons for not utilising the nets include discomfort/heat and fear of the chemical content. The factors that were found to be associated with increased use of the nets were tertiary education, urban residence and high awareness of the aetiology of malaria. Conclusion: There was a high level of awareness, acceptability and utilisation of ITMNs in this study.