ACMJ Article

Abstract

This study investigated communication practises, malaria awareness and challenges to malaria prevention among pregnant women in Ado-Ekiti. The objectives were to evaluate primary sources of information, awareness, information-sharing behaviours, the efficacy of communication techniques, and obstacles to obtaining information about malaria prevention. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a sample of 297 pregnant women picked from the selected wards in Ado-Ekiti. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using frequency counts, percentages, Chi-Square, One-Sample t-Test, ANOVA, and Simple Linear Regression. Findings revealed that the respondents relied on media and clinic posters for malaria prevention information. It was found that the respondents were highly aware of the practises of malaria prevention and selectively disseminated information to their peers and neighbours. The approaches to communication, especially health talks and media campaigns, were identified to be suitable in persuading the preventive behaviours, and limitations to information access were identified as distance to clinics, time constraints, and insufficient exposure to messages. The study concludes that communication channels play an important role in creating awareness and prevention behaviour, even though structural and socio-cultural barriers still hinder the best behavioural adoption. The study recommended strategies with multi-channel, context-sensitive health communication, peer-led exchange of information and elimination of structural barriers to enhance malaria prevention among pregnant women.

COMMUNICATION PRACTICES AND BARRIERS TO MALARIA PREVENTION INFORMATION ACCESS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN ADO-EKITI, NIGERIA, 2026, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 24-39. PDF