Barriers to Effective Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITN) Usage in Rural Northern Nigeria: Behavioural and Gender Perspectives

Barriers to Effective Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITN) Usage in Rural Northern Nigeria: Behavioural and Gender Perspectives | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Perspective Barriers to Effective Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITN) Usage in Rural Northern Nigeria: Behavioural and Gender Perspectives Michael Audu, Osuolale Oludayo Adekunle, Caroline Uchenwoke, Jummai Agabus This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5840381/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Malaria remains a significant public health challenge in Nigeria, accounting for approximately 27% of malaria cases and 32% of malaria deaths worldwide. Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are among the most effective and cost-efficient interventions for malaria prevention. They reduce the disease’s prevalence and mortality by offering a physical barrier and insecticidal protection against mosquitoes. Despite distributing Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) as part of Nigeria’s malaria control strategies, utilization remains low in rural areas. This study focuses on rural populations and examines the behavioural factors influencing ITN usage in Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara States. Using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were collected from 600 households (200 per state) via structured surveys, while qualitative insights were gathered through focus group discussions. Findings indicate that 72% of households own at least one ITN, but only 45% reported consistent usage. Key barriers to ITN adoption include misconceptions about malaria transmission (32%), discomfort due to heat (28%), and cultural beliefs (24%). Socioeconomic factors such as low income and limited education levels further hinder consistent ITN use. Qualitative findings reveal that women’s decision-making power significantly influences ITN utilization, while myths, such as ITNs causing infertility, discourage their use. The study concludes that improving ITN utilization in rural Nigeria requires addressing behavioural barriers through targeted community education, gender-sensitive interventions, and ensuring access to user-friendly nets Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) Malaria Prevention Behavioral Barriers Gender Dynamics Cultural Beliefs Health Education Rural Nigeria Socioeconomic Factors. Full Text Additional Declarations All participants involved in this study provided informed consent before participation. Ethical approval for the study, including the consent process, was obtained from Kebbi State Ministry of Health which also waived the need for written consent in specific circumstances as per local ethical guidelines. No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5840381","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Perspective","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":404999752,"identity":"157e4eb7-66bb-404e-a282-5041e049132e","order_by":0,"name":"Michael Audu","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACZgY2IGkBxAkMBxIMbIAMxsYDRGiRAGlhPPChIA2kpQG/FgaEFuaDMz4cBgvh1aLbzvzswY8KCXmD4zkGh3kMztutbT8MtKXGJhqXFrPDbOaGPWckDDeceQPScjt525lEoJZjabkNOLXwsEnwtkkwbriRA9FidgCohbHhMF4tkn//SdhDtZxLNjv/kLAWad4GiUSQloMzDA7Ymd0gaAubmbTMMYnkmWeeFRz4YJCcYHYDaEsCPr+cP/xM8k2NjW3f8eTNHxL+2NmbnU9/+OBDjQ1OLRggEawygVjlIGBPiuJRMApGwSgYGQAAjS5nzcLrolIAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Global Health Supply Chain","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Michael","middleName":"","lastName":"Audu","suffix":""},{"id":404999753,"identity":"8b8214f8-f09b-4979-8bb8-83e648b1cd6b","order_by":1,"name":"Osuolale Oludayo Adekunle","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Global Health Supply Chain","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Osuolale","middleName":"Oludayo","lastName":"Adekunle","suffix":""},{"id":404999754,"identity":"701a15de-12e3-45fc-8d66-6e78a3492f03","order_by":2,"name":"Caroline Uchenwoke","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Global Health Supply Chain","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Caroline","middleName":"","lastName":"Uchenwoke","suffix":""},{"id":404999755,"identity":"ba0d68eb-2bb4-41ed-a061-7274a7a33e95","order_by":3,"name":"Jummai Agabus","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Global Health Supply Chain","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jummai","middleName":"","lastName":"Agabus","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-01-16 09:08:33","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5840381/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5840381/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[],"financialInterests":"\u003cp\u003eAll participants involved in this study provided informed consent before participation. 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Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are among the most effective and cost-efficient interventions for malaria prevention. They reduce the disease’s prevalence and mortality by offering a physical barrier and insecticidal protection against mosquitoes. Despite distributing Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) as part of Nigeria’s malaria control strategies, utilization remains low in rural areas. This study focuses on rural populations and examines the behavioural factors influencing ITN usage in Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara States. Using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were collected from 600 households (200 per state) via structured surveys, while qualitative insights were gathered through focus group discussions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFindings indicate that 72% of households own at least one ITN, but only 45% reported consistent usage. 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