Child Care Provider Awareness and Prevention of Cytomegalovirus and Other Infectious Diseases

Abstract

Child care facilities are prime locations for the transmission of infectious and communicable diseases. Children and child care providers are at high risk for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection which causes severe birth defects and developmental delays. The goals of study were: (1) to determine the level of cytomegalovirus awareness and other infectious diseases among child care providers, and (2) to determine what measures providers are taking to prevent the spread of infectious disease. This is a descriptive study. We used the Dillman total design method to survey a random sample of licensed family and residential child care providers. We used a 29-item questionnaire to ask about awareness of cytomegalovirus and other infectious diseases, knowledge of how to control spread of these diseases, sources of information, personal hand hygiene behaviors, and demographics. The response rate was 68.6 %. Awareness of infectious diseases ranged from 12.8 to 99.4 %; 18.5 % ‘had’ heard of CMV. Respondent’s primary sources of information were health care providers and the Internet. Self-report of hand hygiene behavior was high. Providers do not know how to appropriately sanitize surfaces to reduce spread of disease. Awareness of CMV and how to prevent transmission of infectious disease is low. Intervening with child care providers and parents through child care facilities are key opportunities to reduce prevalence of CMV infection and other diseases.