Influence of socioeconomic factors on the treatment and prevention of malaria in pregnant and non-pregnant adolescent girls in Nigeria.

The influence of socioeconomic factors on the treatment and prevention of malaria was investigated in 45 pregnant and a control group of 47 non-pregnant adolescent girls in the rural community of Imesi-Ile, Nigeria. The study consisted of focus group discussions and a house-to-house survey. During the survey, clinical and anthropometric measurements were taken of the girls and they were assisted in completing a prepared questionnaire which sought information on their methods of treatment and prevention of malaria. The results showed a higher incidence of malaria parasitaemia, anaemia and fever episodes in the group of pregnant adolescent girls. Both groups of girls use identical methods for the prevention of malaria but only a few pregnant girls as compared to non-pregnant girls receive modern hospital treatment for malaria. In particular, pregnant unmarried girls were less likely to receive antenatal care, to use the local health centres for the treatment of malaria and to adopt appropriate measures for the prevention of malaria. This trend was not due to aversion to hospital treatment since most people in the community prefer modern treatment of malaria to traditional or religious methods of treatment. The low utilization of hospital treatment by the pregnant girls was found to be due to perceived high cost of treatment at the health centres and to lack of privacy. We conclude that a malaria treatment service that utilizes modern methods and is both cheap and confidential will be preferred by pregnant adolescent girls in Imesi-Ile.