title: Knowledge, attitude, perception of malaria and evaluation of malaria parasitaemia among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinic in metropolitan Lagos, Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little information exists on the compliance of pregnant women to malaria management in malaria endemic countries. This study was designed to access knowledge, attitude, perception and home management of malaria among consenting pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 350 pregnant women were randomly recruited during their ANC Clinic in Lagos. Structured questionnaires were administered in a two-stages research design; first during their early months of ANC visit and the second approximately 1-2 months before delivery. Information on occupation, parity, symptoms used to recognise malaria, treatment sources, control measures, knowledge factors, anti-vector measures, health-seeking practices, malaria parasitaemia and packed cell volume (PCV) were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results revealed that 78.9% of the pregnant women identified infected mosquitoes as the cause of malaria while 86% of the pregnant women identified stagnant water as its breeding sites. Knowledge of the benefit of insecticide-treated mosquito bednets was less prominent as most of the selected subjects decried its high market price. Our data also showed that educational programme targeted on potential mothers is beneficial. Overall, 27.4% (96/350) of the pregnant women had peripheral malaria infection with 88.5% (85/96) of the parasite positive women infected with Plasmodium falciparum and 11.5% (11/96) with P. malariae. PCV ranged from 20-40% (median 33.9%) with 25.7% (90/350) of the pregnant women being anaemic with PCV <33%. We found an association between malaria infection and occupation, and this association was not influenced by parity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings revealed that improvement in knowledge and education of women of child-bearing age has an influential impact on malaria control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. iriemeka@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Iriemenam
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Dosunmu
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Oyibo
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Fagbenro-Beyioku
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010465:Perception; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult