Literacy and Health Insurance Cover of Women Inspire Procurementof Mosquito Bed Net for Sleeping in Ghana: Evidence From 2022Ghana Demographic and Health Survey

Abstract

Background: In Ghana, most households who own bed nets, do not sleep under them. This is evident that, 61% of households in 2022 had access to an insecticide-treated net, and only 40% slept under them the night prior to the GDHS survey.
Objective: Based on this, the study set out to investigate if literacy and health insurance cover of women inspire procurement of a mosquito bed net for sleeping in Ghana. Data were extracted from the 2022 GDHS. Frequency distribution was used to summarise respondents’ responses into proportions. The Pearson’s chi-squared test of independence was used to test association between the explanatory variables and the outcome variable. The binary logistic regression was used to assess the influence of literacy and health insurance cover of women on procurement of a mosquito bed net for sleeping.
Results: The study found listening to radio less than once a week as statistically significant at p=0.023, (OR=1.125, 95%CI ([1.017-1.244]). Using the internet for the last 12 months at p<0.001, (OR=0.538, 95%CI [0.495-0.584]). Women that have their health insurance being provided by employer at p=0.003, (OR=0.525, 95%CI [0.344-0.802]). Women covered by national/district health insurance at p=0.018, (OR=1.163, 95%CI [1.026-1.319]).
Conclusion: The study recommends that health care providers should endeavour to continue to reinforce education on ownership and usage of a mosquito bed net for sleeping since its usage consistently has financial benefits of prevention over treatment and can contribute to a good night’s sleep, free of nuisance biting from mosquitoes and other insects.