Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices regarding Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis among Village Health Volunteers in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Udomsak Narkkul,Chuchard Punsawad,Jaranit Kaewkungwal,Prasit Na-Ek

doi:10.3390/tropicalmed7020033

Abstract

Soil-transmitted helminth infections are most prevalent in rural populations. Village health volunteers (VHVs) are the key individuals for Thai primary healthcare. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding soil-transmitted helminthiasis in VHVs. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 552 VHVs randomly selected from four subdistricts in a southern province of Thailand. Sociodemographic variables and information regarding the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to soil-transmitted helminthiasis were collected using a structured questionnaire. The results demonstrated that VHVs had poor knowledge (70.47%) and practices (66.49%); however, 69.57% had good attitudes. Most VHVs had inadequate knowledge and practices regarding soil-transmitted helminthiasis. VHVs who had been trained in parasitic infection control measures were 2.18 times more likely to have good knowledge. VHVs with a monthly family income of more than 307 USD were 1.58 times more likely to have a good attitude. VHVs with good knowledge were more likely to have good practices. In conclusion, the development of training programs and health promotion should be considered to enhance the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to soil-transmitted helminthiasis in VHVs, who are the key individuals for providing health education to community members.

Highlights

Published: 19 February 2022Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are a group of parasitic intestinal worms that can infect humans through the ingestion of parasitic eggs or skin contact with motile larvae.Four STH species are of particular significance vis-à-vis public health: a roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), a whipworm (Trichuris trichiura), and two species of hookworm (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale) [1,2,3,4]
Village health volunteers (VHVs) who had been trained in parasitic infection control measures were 2.18 times more likely to have good knowledge than those who had not been trained (AOR 2.18; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26–3.79 after adjusting for other variables)
Our study demonstrated the importance of human demographics; information source for soil-transmitted helminthiasis knowledge; being advised to check for parasitic infections; and knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to soiltransmitted helminthiasis among VHVs

Summary

Introduction

Published: 19 February 2022Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are a group of parasitic intestinal worms that can infect humans through the ingestion of parasitic eggs or skin contact with motile larvae.Four STH species are of particular significance vis-à-vis public health: a roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), a whipworm (Trichuris trichiura), and two species of hookworm (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale) [1,2,3,4]. Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are a group of parasitic intestinal worms that can infect humans through the ingestion of parasitic eggs or skin contact with motile larvae. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide are infected with STH [5,6,7]. Helminth infections remain a significant health problem in rural communities in some regions of Thailand. A national survey conducted in 2009 reported that the prevalence of helminthiasis was 18.1% in the Thai population. High prevalences of opisthorchiasis and hookworm infections have been reported in the northeastern and southern regions of Thailand, respectively [8]. The high prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections is closely associated with poverty, climatic conditions, poor personal hygiene, poor sanitation, and unsafe drinking water [8,9,10,11].

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