Urinary schistosomiasis: Health seeking behaviour among residents of Kiri in Shelleng Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

The survey was designed to study community’s knowledge and health care seeking behaviour on urinary schistosomiasis in Kiri, Shelleng Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria, due to observetion that urinary schistosomiasis is on the increase because of inadequate control strategy. Two hundred and sixty four respondents were randomly selected and interviewed on the causes of urinary schistosomiasis and health-seeking behaviour through a structured questionnaires. Results obtained showed that respondents of secondary level (42.8%) mentioned bathing in contaminated water as the correct medium for the transmission of urinary schistosomiasis. Seventy five percent of the respondents had no idea on the mode of transmission of the disease . Females respondents within the age brackets of 16-20 years (100.0%) and 21-25 years(100.0%) had higher contacts with water on each day due to daily domestic needs. Management of haematuria were majorly based on visiting patent medicine store (29.5%), herbalist (17.0%) and drug vendors (11.4%). Many (37.5%) of the respondents do not seek for medical intrevention. Educational awereness affected the respondents’ knowledge on the correct drug used for the treatment of urinary schistosomiasis. About 83.0% had no idea on chemotherapy used for the treatment of urinary schistosomiasis. None of the respondents was able to mention paraziquantel as the correct drug used for the treatment of the disease. There is the need to educate the drug vendors and patent medicine store owners, the point at which people in rural communities get their medication for the treatment of the disease. These findings will be used for proper health education and planning to reduce to the bearest minimum urinary schistosomiasis among Kiri community.