Abstract

The health of women is not only linked to reproductive issues but also to efforts in health promotion, improved nutritional status and general well being of girls and adolescents from infancy to adulthood. The aim was to evaluate the use and non-use of long lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) among women in child-bearing age in Nigeria. This survey employed cross-sectional survey to collect data from households on coverage and use of LLINs. The study took place in 2007, five months after the distribution of LLINs, coinciding with the second raining period of the year and a time of high malaria transmission during the wet season. In the 1,756 households sampled, the ratio of women in child-bearing age to currently pregnant women was 8.2 to 1. The probability of having a woman in reproductive age in the household is 50 times more than having a pregnant woman. Overall, there was a significant difference in the proportion of pregnant women who slept under any net (χ² = 23.2; p = 0.000003; odds ratio (OR) = 1.89; confidence interval (CI) = 1.46, 2.46) or under an LLIN (χ² = 15.17; p = 0.0001; OR = 1.73; CI = 1.31, 2.28) night before survey compared to women in child-bearing age. A significant proportion of currently pregnant women took IPT1 only compared to WCBA in their last pregnancy (χ² = 524.04; p = 0.000000; OR = 35.2; CI = 22.6, 54). Use of LLINs among women in child-bearing age (WCBA) in Nigeria is low. Aggressive approach is needed to increase the utilization of LLIN among WCBA to improve use among pregnant women.

Key words: Women in child-bearing age, currently pregnant women, long lasting insecticidal nets, intermittent preventive treatment, malaria, school children.