Socioeconomic and Demographic Disparities in Ownership and Use of Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets for Preventing Malaria Among Rural Reproductive-Aged Women in Northern Ghana

Edmund Kanmiki
John Awoonor-Williams, Ghana Health Service
James F. Phillips, Columbia University
Stephen P. Kachur, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Fabian Achana
James Akazili, Navrongo Health Research Centre
Ayaga A. Bawah, University of Ghana

We aim to assess the disparities in ownership and utilization of bednets in a rural setting of Ghana. A cross-sectional data of 5,074 women 15- 49 years old were collected using a two-stage cluster sampling approach. Bivariate and multivariate regression models were used to assess disparities in ownership and utilization of bednets in households owning at least one bednet. We identified disparities in both ownership and utilization in occupational status, religion, district of residence and wealth index. Respondents in the richest wealth quintile were 49% more likely to own bednets (p-value=0.001, CI=1.17-1.90), however, they were 35% less likely to use them compared to the poorest (p-value=0.001, CI=0. 5-0.84). Interventions aimed at mitigating inequalities in distribution and use of bednet should take into consideration the factors identified by this study. More specifically individuals of lower socio-economic status should be given more attention

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 Presented in Session 5. Health & Mortality 1