Malaria Prevalence and its Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic at General Hospital Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Research into the frequency of malaria among pregnant women is still insufficient due to multiple challenges. Despite these difficulties,  this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of malaria and its associated factors among pregnant women visiting antenatal clinics at  Dutse General Hospital in Jigawa State. This study adopted a quasi-experimental design involving 50 pregnant participants who provided  consent. A questionnaire was administered, blood samples were collected, and laboratory analysis was performed following established  and standard protocols. The data collected underwent analysis utilizing the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20,  employing ANOVA with a significance level set at P<0.05. The study revealed a malaria prevalence of up to 22%. The age groups of 18-24  and 25-34 exhibited no significant difference (P >0.05) in malaria prevalence, both showing the highest rates at 36.36%. Conversely, the  35-45 age group displayed the lowest prevalence at 27.27%. Factors such as pregnancy stage, participant age, and socio-economic status  were found to influence malaria prevalence in the study area. Owing to the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that malaria  infection among pregnant women in Dutse was relatively low. The study recommends that healthcare providers should provide  comprehensive health education on malaria prevention during antenatal clinics.