Factors Influencing Knowledge and Utilization of Insecticide-Treated Nets among Undergraduate Hostel Residents at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Background Malaria remains a significant public health burden in Nigeria. Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are a proven effective intervention, yet their utilization, particularly among understudied populations like university students, is often suboptimal. This study assessed the knowledge, prevalence of use, and factors associated with ITN utilization among undergraduate hostel residents at the University of Port Harcourt.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 374 undergraduate hostel residents selected via a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire. Analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 26, employing descriptive statistics and chi-square tests at a 5% significance level.

The mean age of respondents was 20.1 ± 2.3 years, with a female predominance (58.6%). Knowledge of ITNs was high, with 100% having heard of ITNs and 46.5% possessing good knowledge. Health workers (61.5%) were the primary source of information. However, only 33.4% reported using ITNs every night. Significant factors associated with ITN use included female gender (p=0.016), residence in the Abuja campus (p=0.002), and enrollment in the Health Sciences faculty (p=0.005). The most common barriers to use were discomfort from heat (48.8%) and itchiness (48.8%) among users who reported adverse effects.

A significant gap exists between high knowledge and low practice of ITN use among students. The primary deterrents were user discomfort and adverse effects. To bridge this gap, interventions should focus on distributing more comfortable, user-friendly nets and implementing targeted behavioral change communication, especially for male students and non-health science faculties, to translate knowledge into consistent practice. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Funding Statement This study did not receive any funding Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Ethical approval was obtained from the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Port Harcourt I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes Data Availability All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors