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Willingness to accept use of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) for indoor residual spraying in Rakai District, Uganda
Abstract
Objective: To identify factors associated with willingness to accept use of
dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT ) for indoor residual household-spraying (IRS ) in malaria control in Rakai district Uganda.
Design: A household survey using multistage sampling.
Setting: Rakai, rural district in south central Uganda.
Subjects: household heads or their spouses.
Main outcome measures: Proportion of those that were willing to accept use of DDT for IRS and factors associated with willingness to accept use of DDT.
Results: Almost all (90%) study participants were willing to have IRS in their homes, however only 31% of them were willing to have DDT used for that purpose. The factors influencing willingness to accept use of DDT for IRS ranged from reports of having heard of other chemicals used in IRS other than DDT (AOR= 2.9, 95% CI= 1.3-6.5), reports of malaria in the month prior to interview (AOR= 3.6, 95% CI= 1.6-7.9), if they believed that treated bed nets prevent malaria (AOR= 2.9, 95% CI= 1.3-6.4) and DDT controls mosquitoes (AOR= 2.7, 95% CI= 1.1-6.6). They were unwilling to accept use of DDT if they reported that they had heard that DDT is poisonous/harmful to health (AOR=13.9, 95% CI=5.2-37.0).
Conclusions: To improve the willingness to accept use of DDT at the community level there is need to increase awareness of the high risk of malaria acquisition among the population and address the fears of the risks posed to human health by DDT and how these can be minimised.
dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT ) for indoor residual household-spraying (IRS ) in malaria control in Rakai district Uganda.
Design: A household survey using multistage sampling.
Setting: Rakai, rural district in south central Uganda.
Subjects: household heads or their spouses.
Main outcome measures: Proportion of those that were willing to accept use of DDT for IRS and factors associated with willingness to accept use of DDT.
Results: Almost all (90%) study participants were willing to have IRS in their homes, however only 31% of them were willing to have DDT used for that purpose. The factors influencing willingness to accept use of DDT for IRS ranged from reports of having heard of other chemicals used in IRS other than DDT (AOR= 2.9, 95% CI= 1.3-6.5), reports of malaria in the month prior to interview (AOR= 3.6, 95% CI= 1.6-7.9), if they believed that treated bed nets prevent malaria (AOR= 2.9, 95% CI= 1.3-6.4) and DDT controls mosquitoes (AOR= 2.7, 95% CI= 1.1-6.6). They were unwilling to accept use of DDT if they reported that they had heard that DDT is poisonous/harmful to health (AOR=13.9, 95% CI=5.2-37.0).
Conclusions: To improve the willingness to accept use of DDT at the community level there is need to increase awareness of the high risk of malaria acquisition among the population and address the fears of the risks posed to human health by DDT and how these can be minimised.
