Long-Lasting Insecticidal Net Utilization and Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women in Asgede Tsimbla District, Northern Ethiopia, 2017.

BACKGROUND

Malaria among pregnant women contributes to maternal anemia, low birth weight, spontaneous abortion, and infant deaths. In response to this serious health problem, regular use of the long-lasting insecticidal net is the most cost-effective method of preventing malaria. However, in most developing countries, including Ethiopia, long-lasting insecticidal net utilization by pregnant women is uncertain.

OBJECTIVES

This study was conducted to measure the utilization of insecticidal net and to identify the associated factors with its utilization among pregnant women in Asgede Tsimbla district in 2017.

METHODS

A community-based cross-sectional study was employed and data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaire. Systematic random sampling method was used to select 550 pregnant women. Data were entered into a computer using Epi Info (version 7) and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 21) for further analysis. Variables with P-value less than 0.05 were used to declare statistical significance between the dependent and the independent variables in multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among 550 pregnant women surveyed, 347 (63.1%) of the pregnant women slept under a long-lasting insecticidal net the night before the survey. Urban residence (OR [95% CI] = 1.9 [1.22-3.01]), family size of 3-5 and >5 (2.8 [1.53-5.22] and 2.4 [1.20-5.03], respectively), and history of malaria during their current pregnancy (3.0 [1.95-4.86]) were found to be the factors associated with pregnant women's long-lasting insecticidal net utilization.

CONCLUSION

Utilization of long-lasting insecticidal net was low, and place of residence, exposure status to malaria during their current pregnancy, and family size were the factors associated with long-lasting insecticidal net utilization.