Effects of health education intervention on the use of insecticide-treated nets among antenatal women in a teaching hospital in Nigeria

Malaria poses a public health challenge in endemic African countries. Global estimates of malaria indicate at least 3.3 billion people are at risk of being infected with malaria and developing disease, and 1.2 billion are at high risk. According to the latest World Malaria Report, released in November 2017, there were 216 million cases of malaria in 2017, up from 211 million cases in 2016. Malaria causes a variety of adverse consequences in pregnant women due to the invasion of the placenta by Plasmodium. It increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome for the mother, the factors and the new born, such as maternal anaemia, Intrauterine Growth Retardation (IUGR) and the delivery of low-birth-weight infants. The objective of this study is to develop, implement, and assess the effects of health education interventions on the use of insecticide-treated nets among antenatal women in a teaching hospital in Nigeria. The study was a two-arm double-blind parallel randomized controlled trial involving pregnant women who have been enrolled into Antenatal Clinic at UNTH, Enugu state, Nigeria. Research and review existing literature on effective health education interventions targeting malaria prevention and ITN usage among pregnant women was done by collecting ethical approval from health authorities. Design culturally appropriate health education materials and sessions that emphasize the importance of ITNs in preventing malaria during pregnancy, addressing misconceptions, and providing practical guidance on ITN acquisition, maintenance, and proper use. A training module was developed using health belief model as the theory and the Information was on health care seeking behaviour, patients’ illness responses. The validation of the module was conducted among 2 nurses in the clinic who were not part of the study. A two-day training was done for the selected nurses (who was served as research assistants), using the developed health education intervention Training Module. Training on each day lasted for three hours. Health education intervention in addition to routine clinic care were used in this RCT as a means for improving ITNs use among pregnant women in the intervention group, while the control group were left to receive their normal routine clinic care only. The pregnant women were selected based on the inclusion criteria of the study. Among the eligible respondents, a total of 350 pregnant women were randomly selected and 283 were eligible for participation (141 in the intervention group and 142 in the control group at baseline) using opaque sealed envelopes. Data were collected at baseline, at three- and six-months post-intervention and follow up using a questionnaire. There was no significant difference in sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude and practice between the intervention and control group at baseline. Respondents at post-intervention and follow up were more likely to have good Practice compared to respondents at baseline respectively (AOR = 4.164, 95% CI: 6.273 – 3.165, p <0.001; AOR = 4.164, 95% CI: 6.273 – 3.165, p <0.001). Respondents at intervention group and control group at follow-up were more likely had a high knowledge compared to respondents at baseline (AOR = 2.555, 95% CI: 1.511 – 4.322, p <0.001) and at attitude score, the (AOR = 0.127, 95% CI: 0.076 – 0.212, p <0.001) and there was a significant interaction at post-intervention and follow up, respondents at post intervention and follow up were more likely to have good Practice compared to respondents in the control group at baseline respectively (AOR = 0.002, 95% CI: 3.088 – 9.034, p < 0.001; AOR = 0.002, 95% CI: 3.985 – 22.471, p < 0.001). The findings from this study provide evidence for the effectiveness of Health Education Intervention in improving knowledge, attitude and practice, health seeking behaviour among pregnant women in Enugu state, Nigeria. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that Health Education Interventions significantly enhance knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as health-seeking behaviors among pregnant women in Enugu State, Nigeria. These improvements highlight the critical role of targeted educational programs in promoting the adoption and effective use of ITNs, ultimately contributing to better maternal health outcomes.

Text FPSK (p) 2024 12 - Declaration Form.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (441kB) Text FPSK (p) 2024 12 - Full Text.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (31MB) Text FPSK (p) 2024 12.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (31MB)

Actions (login required)

View Item