<b>INSECTICIDES TREATED NETS (ITNS) USAGE INTENSITY AND SELF-REPORTED MALARIA PREVALENCE AMONG RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA.</b>

This study examined the insecticides treated nets (ITNs) usage intensity and self-reported malaria prevalence among rural households in Osun State, Nigeria. A three-stage sampling technique was used to select 595 households from 6 rural LGAs. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, Tobit and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression models were employed to analyse the data. 67.6% of the households have under-6 children, 36.3% have at least a pregnant woman, 71.8% have no ITNs while 8.4%, 10.1% and 8.1% have 3, 4 and 5 household members, respectively sleeping under ITNs. Tobit estimates revealed that ITNs usage intensity was significantly influenced by sex of household heads (β=-0.1666; p<0.01), mother’s years of schooling (β=0.0132; p<0.1), number of pregnant women (β=0.1110; p<0.01), number of ITNs in the house (β=0.1448; p<0.01), number of people sleeping under ITNs (β=0.1713; p<0.01), electricity           (β=-0.1366; p<0.05), electric fan (β=0.1202; p<0.1) and households percapita expenditure           (β=-1.39e-06; p<0.01). OLS estimates revealed that prevalence of self-reported malaria was significantly influenced by sex of household head (β=3.6534; p<0.01), distance to water source (β=4.6119; p<0.01), numbers sleeping under ITNs (β=-0.9339; p<0.01), environment neatness     (β=-0.7307; p<0.1), distance to irrigation/open water body (β=-0.1625; p<0.01), water source       (β=-0.8359; p<0.05) and ITNs usage intensity (β=-5.0294; p<0.05). This study concluded that the use of ITNs reduces the prevalence of malaria but households with at least an ITNs and usage intensity were abysmally low, hence the need to intensify efforts at extending access to affordable and effective ITNs as an efficient means of malaria control.