Knowledge and Factors Influencing the use of Insecticide-Treated Nets among Undergraduate Hostel Residents in University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Aim: Malaria is a major cause of morbidity in Nigeria, resulting in severe negative health and economic effects. The use of Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) is a good preventive practice; however, studies have shown that ITNs are not effectively utilized by the public as expected. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and factors associated with the use of ITNs by University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) undergraduate hostel residents. Study Design: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was adopted for this study.  Place and Duration: The study was carried out in UNIPORT between February 2025 to May 2025 Methodology:  Ethical approval was obtained from the University’s ethical committee before data collection. A stratified two-stage random sampling technique was employed. A semi-structured self-administered questionnaire, adapted from four different questionnaires, was used to collect data from 479 students using the Open Data Kit (ODK) platform. Data collected was cleaned in Microsoft Excel and moved to SPSS v26 for analysis using descriptive statistics and chi-square (p<0.05).  Results: Only 16.7% used an ITN regularly, and 42.6% possessed one. ITN usage, according to the survey, was greater during the early study years (23.3%) and greater among females (29.2%) compared to males (11.0%). Uneasiness due to heat (67.9%) was a major factor influencing its use. Chi-square tests (α = 0.05) revealed that females were more likely to use ITNs compared to males (χ² = 24.559, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Targeted interventions developed for male students could help improve ITNs' use among them.