Knowledge, attitude, and practices on intestinal schistosomiasis among primary schoolchildren in the Lake Victoria basin, Rorya District, north-western Tanzania

BMC Public Health

Research Article

Emmanuel A. Mpolya¹  Teckla Angelo¹  Joram Buza¹  David Z. Munisi²  Safari M. Kinung’hi³ 

[1] Department of Global Health and Bio-Medical Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O. Box, 447, Arusha, Tanzania;Department of Global Health and Bio-Medical Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O. Box, 447, Arusha, Tanzania;Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Dodoma, P. O. Box 259, Dodoma, Tanzania;National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Mwanza Research Centre, P. O. Box 1462, Isamilo Road, Mwanza, Tanzania;

关键词: Schistosomiasis;    Knowledge;    Attitude;    Practices;    Schoolchildren;    Tanzania;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-017-4767-9

 received in 2016-12-30, accepted in 2017-09-18,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundGlobally school-age children, adolescents and young adults bear the highest burden of schistosomiasis. When developing a specific intervention to improve community’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs), existing KAPs must be taken into account. Therefore, this study was designed to determine schoolchildren’s KAPs on schistosomiasis in the study area.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Busanga and Kibuyi villages involving 513 schoolchildren. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data and to assess KAP on schistosomiasis among primary schoolchildren in the study area.ResultsOf the 488 interviewed children, 391 (80.12%) reported to have heard of schistosomiasis, with the majority 289 (73.91%) citing school as the source of this knowledge. Swimming in the lake, worms, witchcraft, and mosquitoes were mentioned to be the cause for intestinal schistosomiasis. Fishing in the lake, drinking unboiled lake water, walking bare footed, and shaking hands were reported to be practices that may lead to contracting schistosomiasis. Only 156 (39.90%) of the study respondents reported to know the signs of intestinal schistosomiasis. Avoiding swimming in the lake, drinking unboiled water and eating unwashed fruits were mentioned as preventive measures. Nearly 85% (412) reported understanding that there was a disease known as schistosomiasis; additionally, 419 (85.86%) considered schistosomiasis as a dangerous disease and 418 (85.66%) believed that schistosomiasis was treatable. Fishermen and schoolchildren were reported to be groups most at risk of schistosomiasis infection. Visiting the lake (for swimming and other gatherings) was a common practice among study participants 471 (96.52%).Nearly 93% (451) of participants mentioned using lake water for domestic chores, and, although 407 (84.61%) reported to own a toilet at home, only 229 (55.31%) reported to always use a toilet for sanitation purposes.Conclusion and recommendationDespite a high rate of awareness among schoolchildren regarding schistosomiasis, there was a persistent gap amongst the children regarding the causes, modes of transmission, symptoms, and preventive measures for the disease. Therefore, an appropriate health education intervention is needed in order to inculcate better knowledge, attitudes, and practices amongst schoolchildren regarding its transmission, control, and prevention as part of a successful schistosomiasis campaign.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017