Determinants of mosquito bed nets utilization among pregnant women in Uganda

Abstract

This study focused on the determinants of mosquito bed nets utilization among pregnant women in Uganda. The general objective of the study was to examine the factors that influence the utilization of mosquito bed nets among pregnant women in Uganda. The research entirely used secondary data extracted from 2016malaria Indicator Survey. The Data set that was used in this study was specifically for women in the reproductive ages (aged 15-49 years). A sample of about 1011 women aged 15-49 years enumerated during the 2016 UMIS. The data was compiled; edited, validated and statistical packages like MS EXCEL, SPSS and STATA were used for effective data analysis. The data was then processed in MS word in form of tables, pie charts, graphs and frequency tables and in words. Regressions were run to get the most contributing socio economic variable. Frequency tables and cross tabulation tables are the main form of data presentation. The findings of the study indicated that most of the respondents were aged 20-24 and constituted 29.0 percentIt was found out that most households were male headed that is 79.5 percent while only 20.5 percent of the households were female headed. Majority of the mothers who participated in this study had at least completed primary level comprising of 62.9 percent, followed by secondary and higher levels of education at 23.9 percent. The least category of mothers had no any education accounting for 13.2 percent. According to this study, majority of the respondents were rural dwellers and accounted for 86.1 percent while urban dwellers only accounted for 13.9 percent. Most respondents were from central Uganda 39 percent, followed by western Uganda 31.3 percent. The least were from northern Uganda and they constituted of 10.6 percent. Majority of the respondents were using treated mosquito bed nets in their households 89.3 percent and only 10.7 percent of the respondents were not using treated mosquito bed nets in their households.

Finding suggests that there is need for education as a means of achieving increased and appropriate mosquito bed net utilization so as to avoid the misconception that pregnant women use mosquito bed nets once they have fallen sick. Increased awareness of the risk brought by one being sick which results in to better compliance with malaria prevention.