Abstract
Aim
This study was conducted to determine the knowledge and practice of pregnant women attending specialist antenatal clinics (ANCs) concerning malaria, ITN (insecticide-treated net) utilization and antimalarial treatment.
Subjects and methods
The study recruited 225 women who voluntarily presented at ANCs in Jimma town, Ethiopia. A pre-tested questionnaire was administered.
Results
A great majority (98.2%; 221/225) of the respondents were aware of malaria. Among them, 77.4% (174/225) indicated mosquito bites as a mode of malaria transmission. Overall, 94.3% (212/225) and 98.3% (221/225) of pregnant women had knowledge about ITNs and antimalarials, respectively. Overall, 76.8% (173/225) and 57.4% (129/225) of the study participants erroneously indicated mosquito bites and stagnant water as causes of malaria, respectively. In general, the majority of pregnant women were unable to distinguish between malaria transmission and cause. Chi-square analysis revealed a strong association between the educational status of the pregnant women and their daily usage of ITNs (
P
= 0.001; χ
2
= 22.9;
df
= 8).
Conclusion
The results clearly suggest that although the majority of the pregnant women had ample awareness of malaria, ITN usage and antimalarial treatment, a sizable faction still had misconceptions and misunderstandings. Therefore, appropriate communication strategies should be designed and implemented among the marginalized and most vulnerable section of society, especially through health education campaigns, in order to have a constructive outcome in the near future.