Kaliyaperumal Karunamoorthi, Yesuf Dawed
Jimma University, School of Environmental Health Sciences, Jimma, Ethiopia.
East Afr J Public Health. 2009 Aug;6(2):205-10. doi: 10.4314/eajph.v6i2.51776.
The present study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of local residents about insecticide treated nets (ITNs) for malaria control in an endemic area of Ethiopia.
A descriptive cross-survey was conducted from July 2008 to September 2008. A structured questionnaire collecting sociodemographic, ITNs and malaria-related KAP information was administered to the representatives of households.
Azendabo town, Ethiopia.
84% of the inhabitants had awareness about malaria transmission; mosquito bites were identified correctly as the cause of malaria. 85.2% respondents indicated that mosquitoes bite at night. ITNs awareness level of inhabitants was 92.4%; however, just 57.8% of them own ITNs. 96.2% and 91.5% of the inhabitants indicated the foremost reasons for nonpossession of ITNs were due to unaffordability and nonavailability. Inhabitants average monthly income significantly associated with the ITNs ownership at p<0.05 and, however educational status of the respondents and ITNs ownership was not significant (p=0.1).
Indeed, respondents had adequate knowledge regarding ITNs and malaria related information. However, inhabitants had poor attitude and practice towards the ITNs utilization due to lack of availability and affordability. Therefore, besides health education campaign, distribution and promotion of ITNs to entire rural residents at free of charge may possibly bring constructive outcome in the near future.
本研究旨在评估埃塞俄比亚一个疟疾流行地区当地居民对用于疟疾防控的经杀虫剂处理蚊帐（ITN）的知识、态度和实践情况。
于2008年7月至2008年9月进行了一项描述性横断面调查。向家庭代表发放了一份收集社会人口统计学、ITN及疟疾相关知识、态度和实践信息的结构化问卷。
埃塞俄比亚阿曾达博镇。
84%的居民了解疟疾传播；正确识别出蚊虫叮咬是疟疾的病因。85.2%的受访者表示蚊子在夜间叮咬。居民对ITN的知晓率为92.4%；然而，其中只有57.8%的人拥有ITN。96.2%和91.5%的居民表示未拥有ITN的主要原因是买不起和买不到。居民的平均月收入与ITN的拥有情况在p<0.05时有显著相关性，然而受访者的教育程度与ITN的拥有情况无显著相关性（p=0.1）。
的确，受访者对ITN和疟疾相关信息有足够的了解。然而，由于缺乏可得性和可负担性，居民对ITN的使用态度和实践较差。因此，除了开展健康教育活动外，向全体农村居民免费分发和推广ITN在不久的将来可能会带来建设性的成果。
