Awareness and Use of Insecticide-Treated Mosquito Bed Nets (ITNs) among Students in the Second Cycle Institutions in the Tamale Metropolis of Northern Region of Ghana

Introduction: Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are a type of personal protection that has been shown to reduce severe illness and death caused by malaria in endemic areas. Effective malaria prevention reduces mortality and morbidity rates associated with malaria. The use of ITNs have been shown as one of the effective and simplest way of preventing malaria among the general population. Yet, the awareness and utisation of ITNs are not encouraging in most African countries including Ghana. This study aimed at assessing students' level of awareness and use of insecticide-treated bed nets in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana's Northern Region.

Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study design was used. The participants were 368 in total from six different schools within the Metropolis. The study participants were recruited using multistage sampling techniques. Data were collected with a pretested questionnaire and the data were analyzed with SPSS version 24. Descriptive and binary logistic regression models were used. The results were presented in the form of frequencies, percentages, and tables.

Results: The study revealed a high level of knowledge (92.1%), possession of ITN (74.2%), 87.0% knew the use of ITNs to prevent malaria. Majority (69.8%) of respondents use ITNs, out of those who use ITNs, only 14.4% indicated sleeping under ITN throughout the year while 85.6% use ITNs during the season of mosquitoes. Students who had a good understanding of the purpose of ITNs were 1.39 times more likely to use ITNs (AOR=1.39, 95% CI=1.25-7.56, P= .002) and students who did not own ITNs were 97.0% less likely to use ITNs (AOR=0.03, 95% CI=0.07-0.14, P>.001).

Conclusion: The study reported high awareness about ITNs and ownership. The usage of ITN all year round however was low. The success of ITNs usage in second cycle institutions is dependent on the government’s ability to provide adequate infrastructure to allow for some space to enable the students to tie their Nets. The students of the second cycle institutions should be educated more on ITNs usage and its benefits.