Abstract
Background: Poor or lack of insecticide treated net (ITN) use as malaria preventive behaviour is one of the obstacles for the success of malaria prevention and control program. Therefore, Current information on insecticide treated net use as malaria preventive behaviour and its predictors are vital for malaria prevention and control program. Objective: To identify determinants of insecticide treated net use as malaria preventive behaviour among households in Maji district, Bench Maji Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Methodology: Community based cross-sectional quantitative study supplemented by qualitative study was conducted from March ¬15 to 30/2015 in Maji district, Bench Maji Zone of South Nation and Nationality People Regional State (SNNPR). A total of 770 selected household heads were involved in the study. Data was collected through face to face interview technique by trained data collectors. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 statistical package. Multiple logistic regressions analysis was used to identify the independent predictors of insecticide treated net use as malaria preventive behaviour. Odds ratio, with 95% confidence level and P<0.05 were used to determine statistically significant association. Result: A total of 770 (91%) participants were actually involved in the study. Of the total study participants, 76.5% were males and 23.5% were females. Forty point eight percent, 40.8% of study participants were ITN users in night before data collection. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that ITN use had association with ever had malaria: OR=5.94 (0.545-0.64), Perceived susceptibility to malaria: OR=3.47 (1.92-6.26), perceived benefit of using ITN: OR=1.06 (1.02-1.106) and knowledge on malaria: OR 3.25(1.6-6.2). Conclusion and recommendation: This study had revealed that ITN use was low in Maji district. Existing efforts should be revised specifically for its effect on individual perception of ITN use. The research calls for the need to strength the health education and behaviour change activities.
Highlights
Malaria is a disease caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Plasmodium
This study had revealed that insecticide treated net (ITN) use was low in Maji district
The research calls for the need to strength the health education and behaviour change activities
Summary
Malaria is a disease caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Plasmodium. The four species of the parasite in human are P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax account for more than 95% of cases of malaria in the world. P. falciparum is the cause for the severe form of the disease and most deaths due to malaria [1,2]. Malaria results in 300 to 500 million clinical cases globally; of which 90% occur in Sub Saharan Africa [3]. There is consensus that about 0.5 billion clinical attacks of malaria take place every year, including 2-3 million severe attacks. Current information on insecticide treated net use as malaria preventive behaviour and its predictors are vital for malaria prevention and control program
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