Gender and willingness to pay for insecticides treated bed nets in a poor rural area in Tanzania.
OBJECTIVE
To examine socio-economic and malaria related differences between males and females that may cause gender differences in willingness to pay (WTP) for insecticide treated bed nets in a poor rural area.


METHODS
A two-week-interval (test re-test) cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Kisarawe District in coastal Tanzania.


METHODS
Two hundred and fifty one males and two hundred dollars females were interviewed.


RESULTS
Females had about 50% of the males' income. The monthly average income was about US dollars 10.50 for females and US dollars 20.20 for males. The proportion of respondents willing to pay for an ITN, for both males and females, declined as the ITN prices increased (P<0.05). The mean maximum WTP difference between men and women, between both rounds were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Male respondents reported a higher mean number of own underfives living in the household compared to women, the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.8). Willingness to pay for ITN was found to be independent of having an under five child with recent history of malaria. Among both males and females, there was an association between a recent experience with malaria episode and WTP, p=0.05 and p=0.02 respectively. Among females, the proportion of those willing to pay for another person, at the lowest ITN price, was significantly higher in those with under five children in their households than in those with no underfives. This was not the case among the male respondents as the association was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Contrary to expectations were was no statistically significant difference in WTP for an ITN between females and males. Further studies that link willingness and ability to pay are required in rural poor population, such studies may be valuable inputs to government policy on and planning of ITN interventions in the public and private sector.
Mujinja
P G M
PG
School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 65015, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Makwaya
C K
CK
Sauerborn
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001513:Beds; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007306:Insecticides / Q000191:economics*; D008288:Malaria / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013636:Tanzania
D007306:Insecticides