Factors Influencing Utilization of Insecticide-treated Nets among Pregnant Women and Children in Bayelsa and Rivers States, Nigeria

Aim: Globally, Pregnant women and under five years children are the most vulnerable group in malaria zones. This study aimed to assessed factors influencing utilization of ITNs among pregnant women and care givers of children in Bayelsa and Rivers States, Nigeria. Methodology: A pretest-posttest descriptive cross-sectional survey of 330 pregnant women and caregivers of children was conducted in Bayelsa and Rivers States using multi-stage random sampling technique. Pretest questionnaire was administered to sampled respondents. Health education intervention was done to motivate behavioral change wheel (BCW) of respondents. Posttest questionnaire was administered two (2) months after health education intervention. Results: Two hundred and eight (63.0%) of pre and 292(88.5%) of post intervention respondents strongly agreed that using ITNs was the best way to prevent malaria. Findings showed that educated respondents were 4 times more knowledgeable than their uneducated counterparts (O.R.: 4.300, 95% C.I.: 0.838-22.064; p-value: 0.058). Low proportion of post intervention respondents 131(39.7%) slept in the ITNs previous night when temperature was between 26 -240C compared to 224 (67.9%) pre intervention respondents when temperature was between 24 – 250C. Public health education on use of ITNs was statistically significan (t-test: 31.026; P < .05).  Being harmful and intolerance due to heat were the negative reasons for not using ITNs. Conclusion: The factor ‘heat’ during dry season stands as barrier in use of ITNs irrespective of health education intervention. It is recommended that Government policies on ventilated buildings be enforced, as well as improve on quality of the ITNs for hot weather tolerance.