Evaluation of factors that affects the usage of insecticide treated mosquito nets in pregnant women at Ishaka

Abstract

This study was carried out in Kampala International University Teaching Hospital, Bushenyi District with the purpose of identifying the factors affecting the utilization of insecticidetreated mosquito nets (ITNs) among pregnant mothers. A descriptive and cross-sectional design was employed and 60 (sixty) respondents were selected using a convenient sampling method. Data was collected using a questionnaire. The study found that respondents faced various social factors affecting the utilization of ITNs among pregnant mothers and although all the respondents 60 (100%) had heard of ITNs and 60 (100%) understood ITNs as an insecticide-treated bed net that prevents mosquito bites, the majority of respondents 40 (66.7%) did not own an ITN while the majority 40 (66.7%) reported that they only sometimes slept under an ITN every night due to various factors including 14 (26.9%) causing too much heat, 12 (23.2%) said ITNs made it difficult to breathe, 8 (15.4%) disturbed to put up and down every night while 6 (11.5%) said it contained dangerous chemicals. In conclusion, the researcher noted that respondents faced various factors affecting the utilization of ITN among pregnant mothers and this hence required immediate intervention to put preventive measures in practice and reduce the spread of malaria among pregnant mothers in the study setting. Keywords: Insecticide-treated mosquito nets, pregnant mothers, mosquito bites, malaria, chemicals.