Utilization of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets Among Household in Malarious Areas of Raya Alamata District, Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract:Background: Malaria in Ethiopia is one of the most important public health problems, with more than threequarters of the landmass of the country and an estimated 68% of the total population is considered at risk of malaria infections. In the fight against this deadly disease, the country has deployed a massive amount of long lasting Insecticidal treated nets. Though this tremendous effort is outstanding, the distribution alone does not ensure the protection of the people from malaria. Thus, this study tried to assess the utilization of long lasting insecticidal nets and its associated factors among household in malarious areas of Raya Alamata District, Tigray, Ethiopia. Methods: Community based cross sectional study was used among 649 households from April to May, 2013. All households in malarious villages in Raya Alamata district with long lasting Insecticidal nets in their home were used and multistage sampling technique was used to select the study subjects. For day time face to face interview, structured questionnaire was used. Additionally, an observation checklist was used for early morning survey of the actual utilization. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were performed. Results: Among all households 445(68.6%) of them were utilize the long lasting Insecticidal treated nets. The proportion of under 5 children and pregnant women who slept under the net during early morning survey was 71.64 % and 69% respectively. The number of net in the households [AOR (95% CI) = 0.085 (0.26-0.281)], household's marital status [AOR (95% CI) = 0.431 (0.186-0.997)] and occupation of the household head [AOR (95% CI) = 0.297 (0.113-0.781)] were the significant predicators for utilization of long lasting Insecticidal treated nets. Conclusions: Utilization of long lasting insecticidal nets in this study is low and there is a considerable discrepancy between the distribution and utilization of the net. Availability of number of nets among the households, occupational status the head of households and marital status of the household are the predictor variables for household's utilization of the net.

Insecticide-Treated Bed Net Utilization and Associated Factors Among Households in Ilu Galan District, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

“…According to the finding of this study, being female was identified as predictor of ITN utilization. This finding is consistent with study conducted in Addis Zemen Hospital northern, Ethiopia, 36 Raya Alamata districts of Ethiopia, 21 and Arbaminch, Ethiopia 18 that found that females were less likely to utilize ITN than males. This might be also due to sociocultural background in which men are given priority over women in Ethiopia.…”

“…The finding of this study indicated that 72.2% of households utilized ITN the night before the data collection day. This finding is consistent with results from Arbaminch town in southern Ethiopia (71%), 18 Alamata district in northern Ethiopia (73%), 21 Harari regional state, Ethiopia (73.3%), 22 Burkina Faso (70%), 14 and Nigeria (75.4%). 13 This is because all of the above studies including this study were conducted at malaria endemic area which might enforced the households to use ITNs due to the fear of malarial infection.…”

Assessment of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Net Utilization and Its Associated Factors Among Households in Adama District, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

“…Similarily LLIN utilization was reported to be 73.3% in another a study done in Harari, Ethiopia which was also parallel to this study finding [17]. Also the study done among households in Raya Alamata District, Tigray Ethiopia 68.6% of them were utilized the LLIN [18] which is slightly lessthan this finging. A population-based survey done in southern Ethiopia showed that, from the total households participated in the study 61.1% had owned at least one LLIN.…”

Insecticide-Treated Nets Utilization and Associated Factors among under-5 Years Old Children in Mirab-Abaya District, Gamo-Gofa Zone, Ethiopia

“…The finding was in line with slight difference with the study from Southern Ethiopia, which was 27.2% (15). However, it was boldly lower than a study conducted in malaria endemic areas of Raya Alamata District, Ethiopia 71% and in Burkina Faso, 70% (13, 22). The possible explanation for such discrepancies could be geographical variations, the time gap between distributions of ITNs, and survey period and also other age groups might be utilized as evidenced in these studies (6).…”

“…According to this report, ITNs ownership and utilization of under-5 years old children in Southern, Nation, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia was 57 and 42%, respectively (4). According to studies conducted in different areas of Ethiopia, household ownership of at least one ITNs and ITNs utilization among under-5 years old children were 25.3 and 63.9%, respectively, at Adami Tulu district of Oromia region (9), 62.4 and 21.5%, respectively, at Gursum district of Oromia region (10), 95.8 and 59.1%, respectively, in Dejen Woreda, Amhara region (11), 98.4 and 69%, respectively, in Arbaminch Zuria woreda of SNNPR (6), 44.96 and 32% respectively, Shebedino district, SNNPR (12), 71.64% of utilization, Raya Alamata District of Amhara region (13), ownership was 56.6% in Gilgel-Gibe, Ethiopia (14), in SNNPR, 67.5% of households had used a bed net during the previous night. But, only 9.4% were used by children alone (15).…”