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Table 3 Barriers and facilitators to net care and repair (as mentioned by respondents)

From: “It is about how the net looks”: a qualitative study of perceptions and practices related to mosquito net care and repair in two districts in eastern Uganda

Behaviour

Motivators/facilitators

Barriers

Repairing a net

• Perceived risk of malaria due to holes

• Holes are too big or too many

• Belief that mosquitoes can enter even a small hole

• Prefer to replace with new net if affordable

• To save money on new nets or malaria treatment

• Duration (how long the repair would take; sewing or patching seen as slow)

• Desire to be perceived as responsible and conscientious

• Potential unattractiveness of repair (distortion due to knotting, neatness of sewing, color of material and thread used)

• Having a net that looks good (strong dislike of nets with holes)

• Not mentioned: Lack of materials, inability to sew, lack of knowledge of how to repair

• Perception that repair can be fast and easy; especially knotting and tying off holes

• Awareness that small holes can get bigger

• Not having enough money to obtain a new net

• Realizing that a net that would have been considered unusable can still be used if repaired

• Needle, threat, and patching materials easily available at low to no cost

• How long the repair would last (sewing and patching seen as longer-lasting, knotting as quick to unravel)

• Men appear to approve of their wives caring for and repairing nets

Washing a net

Motivators for NOT washing frequently:

Barriers to NOT washing frequently:

• Frequent washing could cause holes

• Desire to be perceived as a clean and responsible person

• Older nets more likely to tear during washing

• Frequent washing/cleanliness perceived as good care

• Cost of soap (a few participants)

• Believing nets should be treated like clothes and washed following the laundry schedule

• Understanding that frequent washing can reduce effectiveness of the ‘medicine’ in the net

• Belief that dirty nets could cause disease

• Household factors like bedwetting and dirt floors

• Confusion about proper washing instructions

• Lack of proper washing instruction at distribution

Tying up a net or storing it when not in use

• Recognized as a good ‘routine’

• Tiring to do daily

• Prevent damage to nets by children

• Easy to forget

• Neat appearance

• Busy with morning rush to work/fields

• Heads of households (men and women both) appear to approve in principle