Compliance with Intermittent Presumptive Treatment and Insecticide Treated Nets Use During Pregnancy in Enugu State, Nigeria

To identify key socio-demographic and knowledge factors associated with compliance with recommended use of commodities for preventing malaria in pregnancy (MIP) in Enugu State, Nigeria. Cross-sectional study of 720 women who delivered within 6 months preceding the survey in three local government areas in Enugu State was conducted using a structured questionnaire. About half (51.6 %) of the women used IPTp1 while 25.9 % took IPTp2 as recommended during their most recent pregnancy. Forty-one percent of the women slept under insecticide treat nets (ITN) during the most recent pregnancy but only 15.4 % did so as recommended every night. Socio-demographic and knowledge factors associated with compliance were identified. Compliance with intermittent presumptive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) recommendation was more common among those in the rural setting (26.9 %) compared to the peri-urban (20.3 %) and urban (17.3 %) (P = 0.032). Those with good knowledge of the causes, effects and prevention of malaria during pregnancy complied more (23.7 %) than those with poor knowledge (17.0 %) (P = 0.020). With respect to sleeping under ITN, more of those with post secondary education, good knowledge of MIP and currently living with a partner used ITN every night during the last pregnancy. Knowledge about the MIP issues and having a partner influence compliance with relevant preventives. Efforts to increase compliance with recommended practices to prevent MIP should focus on providing health education to pregnant women and their partners, who reinforce what the women are told during antenatal care. More qualitative studies need to be conducted on this subject.