Abstract

Malaria is a life-taking parasitic infection transmitted by an infected female anopheles mosquito. Pregnancy-associated
malaria infection has deleterious effects on maternal, fetal, and infant health. Despite the fact that insecticide-treated
mosquito nets (ITNs) have been widely made accessible to the population, especially in rural area health centers where
free ITNs are distributed to mothers attending antenatal care, malaria in Uganda continues to be a major cause of
morbidity and mortality in pregnancy especially in the third trimester. This study seeks to find out the factors
influencing the utilization of insecticide-treated mosquito nets among women in the third trimester of pregnancy at
Kiryandongo Hospital, Kiryandongo District. This study was cross-sectional. A total of 221 women in their third
trimester of pregnancy seeking medical care at Kiryandongo General Hospital were sampled. From the result, the
ownership (72%) and use (sleeping under)-43.5% of insecticide mosquito nets among women in their third trimester
of pregnancy at Kiryandongo Hospital was higher than that of other target groups. The study revealed that sociodemographic
factors including occupational status, educational level, income level, distance to the ANC unit, and
previous history of malaria cases were associated with higher ownership and use of ITNs. In the study, we may also
conclude that knowledge of the use of ITNs including knowing the importance of ITNs in preventing bites from
infected mosquitos, and when to have the mosquito nets tucked in under the bed was associated with higher usage of
ITNs among the respondents. The source of mosquito nets also mattered in the ownership and use of the mosquito
nets