Abstract:
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the factors contributing to the high prevalence of malaria among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) at Lubya Health Centre III, Lubya Town Council, Buvuma District Islands in Uganda. Specifically, the study examined socio-demographic, health-related and environmental factors influencing malaria occurrence during pregnancy.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 132 pregnant women attending ANC at Lubya Health Centre III. Participants were selected using simple random sampling from the ANC register. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and observational checklists. The cleaned data was analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages) were used to summarize the data, and findings were presented using tables, bar graphs and pie-charts. Chi-square (χ²) tests were conducted to examine associations between selected variables and malaria prevalence at a 5% significance level.
Results: Out of 132 distributed questionnaires, 126 were returned, yielding a response rate of 95.5%. The majority of respondents (54%) were aged 25–34 years, 69.8% were married, 39.7% had primary education, and 57.1% were farmers. Nearly half (47.6%) earned below 100,000 UGX per month.
Health-related findings showed that 81% regularly attended ANC, but only 32.5% received three or more IPTp doses. Although 77% owned insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), only 52.4% reported consistent use. A total of 38.9% experienced malaria during their current pregnancy.
Environmental analysis revealed that 78.6% lived near stagnant water, 70.6% near bushes or swamps, and 67.5% had no window/door screens.
Chi-square analysis indicated statistically significant associations between:
Education level and ITN use (χ² = 8.63, p = 0.013)
Monthly income and IPTp adherence (χ² = 7.89, p = 0.020)
Proximity to swamps and malaria prevalence (χ² = 14.27, p < 0.001)
Distance to health facility and IPTp/ANC use (χ² = 10.46, p = 0.005)
Conclusion: The high malaria prevalence among pregnant women at Lubya HCIII is influenced by low education levels, poor income, inconsistent use of ITNs, limited IPTp adherence, and unfavorable environmental conditions such as stagnant water and bushy surroundings. These findings highlight the need for strengthened malaria prevention strategies, improved health education, better infrastructure, and targeted interventions addressing environmental and access barriers.
Keywords: Malaria, pregnant women, ANC, ITNs, IPTp, prevention, Buvuma, Uganda
