Governance Dimensions of Insecticide-Treated Bed Net Use and Malaria Control Among Residents of Obudu Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria

This study examined the governance dimensions of insecticide-treated bed net (ITN) use and malaria control among residents of Obudu Local Government Area (LGA), Cross River State, Nigeria. Anchored in public administration theory specifically governance theory, the Health Belief Model, and the Theory of Planned Behavior the study investigated three dimensions: the relationship between ITN availability and malaria control; the relationship between community knowledge of ITNs and malaria control; and the association between residents' attitudes toward ITN use and malaria control outcomes. Three research questions were posed and three hypotheses formulated. A correlational survey design was adopted. The study population comprised 112,450 adult residents of Obudu LGA, from which a sample of 399 was drawn using the Taro Yamane (1969) formula and multi-stage sampling. A structured questionnaire was validated and tested for reliability, yielding Cronbach Alpha coefficients ranging from .79 to .87. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test hypotheses one and two, while Chi-square (χ²) analysis was employed for hypothesis three. Findings revealed significant positive relationships between ITN availability and malaria control (r = .391, p < .05), knowledge of ITNs and malaria control (r = .374, p < .05), and a significant association between attitude towards ITN use and malaria control outcomes (χ² = 35.32, df = 1, p < .05). The study concludes that strengthening local government administrative capacity for ITN distribution, health education, and community behavioral change communication is critical to achieving sustainable malaria control in Obudu LGA and similar rural communities across Cross River State.