Knowledge and Perceived Barriers towards Intermittent Prevention of Malaria in Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Intermittent prevention of malaria is a key strategy adopted globally to ensure the wellbeing of pregnant women. By extension, these strategies enhance the healthy development of the fetus. This study assesses the knowledge and practices of pregnant women towards intermittent malaria prevention strategies in the Juaben Government Hospital of Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive survey was conducted among 120 pregnant women at the antenatal clinic of the Juaben Government hospital in the Ashanti region of Ghana using a simple random sampling technique in selecting the study participants. The participant response rate was 94.5%. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. Results: Majority (54.2%) of respondents were between 20 - 29 years of age. Majority of study respondents attended Antenatal visits in their first trimester of pregnancy. Majority (69.2%) have knowledge of malaria preventive strategies in pregnancy, with about 70% of respondents stating these strategies were designed only for pregnant women. Only 37.5% of study respondents could rightly identify the chemoprophylaxis indicated for malaria prevention in pregnancy. Whereas majority (93.3%) of respondents owned insecticide-treated mosquito nets, only 63.3% utilized these nets for their purpose. Barriers to utilization of insecticide-treated nets include difficulty in setting up the nets (26.7%), using mosquito coils (10.8%), and feeling uncomfortable sleeping in the nets (36.7%). Barriers to taking malaria prophylaxis include distance to health facilities (28.3%), thoughts of not being sick with malaria (55.8%), using herbs (10.0%), and not being aware of the essence of prophylaxis (7.5%). Conclusion: Knowledge of malaria preventive strategies in pregnancy is high. However, utilization of these strategies is low due to perceived human and institutional barriers. A comprehensive community-wide approach is required to improve the utilization of these services among pregnant women.