Lack Of Parental Supervision Research Articles

Parental supervision and alcohol use among Brazilian adolescents: Analysis of data from the National School-based Health Survey 2015

Objective To evaluate the relationship between parental supervision and sociodemographic factors and alcohol use by Brazilian adolescents. Methods This is a cross-sectional study with data from National School-based Health Survey (PeNSE) 2015, which included 16,608 adolescents aged 13 to 17 students from Brazilian public and private schools. Variables related to alcohol use, sociodemographic factors and parental supervision were evaluated. In order to analyze the relation between sociodemographic variables and parental supervision with use of alcohol among adolescents, we use Prevalence Ratios stratified by sex. Results We observed that 61.4% of adolescents had taste alcohol, 27.2% had a drunken episode in their lifetime, 9.3% have had problems with alcohol and 29.3% reported alcohol use in last 30 days. The lack of parental supervision was associated with increased use of alcohol. The proportion of alcohol use was also higher for girls and also among those who were older than 16 years, worked, did not live with one or both parents and lived in the South, regardless of sex. Conclusion Our results showed early experimentation with alcohol and the occurrence of problems due to the use of this substance among adolescents. In addition, the lack of children monitoring by parents and guardians, shows risk of alcohol use in this age.

Discapacidad parental

School dropout and child labour are associated with low socioeconomic status, as parents are keen to send offspring to the labour market to increase household income. The literature has focused primarily on impaired children but none, to our knowledge, has considered whether impaired parents are associated with children's school dropout, idleness and child labour in Mexico. Our hypothesis posits that parental disability, because of lack of parental supervision, can be related to school dropout because a greater dependence on child labour, but also to higher idleness. Using a sample of 598 children between 14 and 17 years old in the municipality of San Andrés Cholula, Puebla (Mexico), we found that parental disability is associated with increased idleness, but not with child labour. Also, the mother in the household helps preventing school dropout as well as adding paid work to school activities.

Parental supervision and alcohol use among Brazilian adolescents: analysis of data from National School-based Health Survey 2015.

To evaluate the relation between parental supervision and sociodemographic factors and alcohol use by Brazilian adolescents. This is a cross-sectional study with data from National School-based Health Survey (PeNSE) 2015, which included 16,608 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years, students from Brazilian public and private schools. Variables related to alcohol use, sociodemographic factors and parental supervision were evaluated. In order to analyze the relation between sociodemographic variables, parental supervision and use of alcohol among adolescents, prevalence ratios stratified by sex were used. It was observed that 61.4% of the adolescents had tried alcohol, 27.2% had a drunken episode in their lifetime, 9.3% have had problems with alcohol and 29.3% reported alcohol use in last 30 days. The lack of parental supervision was associated with increased use of alcohol. The proportion of alcohol use was higher for girls, and also among those who were older than 16 years, worked, did not live with one or both parents, and lived in the South, regardless of sex. The results showed early alcohol experimentation and occurrence of problems due to its use among Brazilian adolescents. In addition, the lack of monitoring by parents and guardians shows a risk of alcohol use in this age.

Impact of Students’ Exposure to Electronic Media Facilities in Their Homes on Parental Involvement in Management of Students’ Discipline in Public Day Secondary Schools in Kenya

Students’ exposure to electronic media facilities and lack of parental supervision has led to indiscipline among students globally. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of students’ exposure to electronic media facilities in their homes on parental involvement in management of students’ discipline in public day secondary schools in Kitui County, Kenya. The hypothesis was: there is no significant difference in means between students’ exposure to electronic media facilities and parental involvement in management of students’ discipline. The sample consisted of 70 principals, 86 Form three class teachers and 354 Form three students. The instruments were questionnaires and focus group discussions. A pre- test was used to validate the questionnaires while a test-re-test method was used to determine reliability. Instruments reliability coefficients were 0.78 for head teachers, 0.75 for class teachers and 0.82 for students’ questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized for data analysis while the level of significance was set at alpha = 0.05. Based on the results of ANOVA, F (4, 146) =85.548, P = 0.087, the hypothesis was accepted. It was concluded that students’ exposure to electronic media facilities influenced parental involvement in management of students’ discipline although this was not significant. It was recommended that parents should monitor and control the use of electronic media facilities by their children at home to control students’ discipline at school. This paper was drawn out from a study conducted in the year 2016 and 2017 in Kitui County, Kenya.

Risk factors of problematic video game use among teenagers in Sfax

ObjectiveTo identify correlates that might constitute risk factors for problematic video game use (PVU) among urban Tunisian secondary school students.MethodsThis multivariate cross-sectional study was carried out on 587 secondary school students, aged 14 to 20 years. They were randomly selected from seven secondary schools in the urban area of Sfax. The self-administered Fisher's nine-item questionnaire was used in this survey. To identify an associated problematic internet use video game addiction, Young's eight-item questionnaire was used. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire covered socio-demographic, individual and family data.ResultsThe prevalence of PVU was 14.01%. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, we found that the individual risk factors for problematic video game use were anxiety symptoms (P = 0.034) and an associated problematic Internet use (P < 0.001). Playing sport was a protective factor (P = 0.011). The poor relationships within the family (P = 0.001), the lack of parental supervision of time spent on playing video game (P < 0.001) and mother profession as mid-to upper level manager (P = 0.002), predicted PVU.ConclusionThe identification of risk factors can help to determine individuals at high risk, and alert mental health providers to be careful to screen these patients for PVU. Total avoidance of the Internet is unrealistic and inadvisable; but a sensibilisation outreach for youth, their families and health professionals may help to limit the onset of PVU among young people.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Internet use among adolescents: Risk-taking behavior, parental supervision, and implications for safety

Background: Internet communication applications have become an important social context for the development of adolescents. The use of Internet is leading to many risk-taking behaviors also. Material and Methods: This study assessed the risk-taking behaviors and related problems among adolescents while using the internet and parental supervision on it. The study followed descriptive cross-sectional research design and the data was collected from 179 school going adolescents through semi-structured interview schedule. Results: About 60% of the respondents belonged to male (M = 14.5, SD = 1.2 years), mean time spent on internet use in the previous week was 6 hours, 41% access to computers at home, and 28% had arguments with their care givers due to their pattern of usage of internet. There was a significant difference in emotional (t = 3.127, df = 177, P < 0.01) and personal level risk-taking domains (t = 3.037, df = 177, P < 0.01) between male and female respondents, indicating boys were taking more risks than girls. High emotional problems among 8th grade students (M = 1.63, ±1.87) was noted. Significant difference was observed between the number of hours spent on online in a week and arguments with parents (t = 2.517, df = 177, P < 0.05). There was also significant difference in emotional problems (F = 3.212, P < 0.05) and sex-related risk (F = 4.735, P < 0.05) domains between parental filtering and non-filtering group (F = 3.212, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Results clearly indicate that there is an evidence of risk-taking behaviors among adolescents those who were in lack of parental supervision. Hence, there is an urgent need to educate parents, teachers, and address this issue on a greater scale including at the policy level.

Gaming behavior and addiction among Hong Kong adolescents.

ObjectivesGame playing is very popular among Hong Kong teenagers. This study aimed to investigate adolescent gaming behavior and addiction at the Internet cafe, and to explore perceived benefits and harms associated with the activity.MethodsA convenient sample of 13 male high school students aged 12–15 years (mean age = 13.6 years) were interviewed at two Internet cafes. Young’s (Caught in the net, Wiley, New York, 1998) criteria of Internet addiction were modified to assess gaming addiction.ResultsInternet cafes were described as a safe and ideal rendezvous for gamers. The benefits of gaming included fun and satisfaction, fostering social support and teamwork, meeting new friends and becoming sociable, boosting cognitive techniques and intellectual agility, improved responsiveness and quick thinking. Perceived harms of gaming addiction were reduced time and interest in other important activities, poor academic performance, physical harms and emotional distress, disrupted friendship with non-gaming peers, risked family relationship and financial problems. Five interviewees (38.5 %) could be categorized as pathological gamers and two were problem gamers (15.4 %). The psychological factors associated with gaming addiction include low self-esteem, a strong desire for aggressive and exciting experiences, reliance on gaming to kill time and to obtain satisfaction, coping with problems and negative emotions, and obsession with achieving higher rankings in games. The social and environmental risk factors are accessibility to the Internet cafés, aggressive promotional activities at the Internet cafes, peer pressure, family influence and early gaming experiences, perceived parental approval, lack of parental supervision, and poor family relationship.ConclusionsThe study results throw light on prevention programs.

The Role of Rigidity in Adaptive and Maladaptive Families Assessed by FACES IV: The Points of View of Adolescents.

Previous studies using Olson’s Circumplex Model and FACES IV, the self-report assessing family functioning, did not clarify the role of rigidity, a dimension of this model. Rigidity emerged as ambiguous: it was considered either as a functional or as a dysfunctional dimension. Building upon the results of previous studies, we provided a contribution intended to disambiguate the role of rigidity considering adolescents’ perceptions and using a non-a priori classification analysis. 320 Italian adolescents (13–21 years) participated in this study and responded to a questionnaire containing scales of the study variables. A latent class analysis was performed to identify the association of rigidity with the other dimensions of Olson’s model and with indicators of adaptive family functioning in adolescence: parental monitoring and family satisfaction. We found six clusters corresponding to family typologies and having different levels of functioning. Rigidity emerged as adaptive in the typologies named rigidly balanced and flexibly oscillating; it was associated with positive dimensions of family functioning, i.e. flexibility, cohesion, parental monitoring, and high levels of family satisfaction. Differently, when rigidity was associated with disengagement, low cohesion and flexibility, and lack of parental supervision, emerged as maladaptive. This was the case of two typologies: the rigidly disengaged and the chaotically disengaged. Adolescents of these families reported the lowest levels of satisfaction. In the two last typologies, the flexibly chaotic and the cohesively disorganized, rigidity indicated a mid-range functionality as these families were characterized by emotional connectedness but lack of containment. Clinical implications are discussed.

Epidemiological aspects of ocular superglue injuries.

To report the frequency, associated risk factors and characteristics of cases referred to Farabi Eye Hospital with ocular superglue injuries. In a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted between December 2012 and February 2013, patients with ocular superglue injuries were evaluated. Age, sex, educational level, location, time, mechanism, type, site and time of eye injury were gathered through interview using a customized questionnaire. All participants had given consent to undergo thorough eye examination. Over the course of three months, 105 patients with ocular superglue injuries enrolled in the study, including 56(53.3%) men and 49(46.7%) women with the mean age of 24.7±11.6 (range, 2 to 53)y. The right eye, left eye and both eyes were involved in 52%, 42% and 6% of the patients, respectively. Most of injuries had occurred at home (72.4%) and at night (55%). More than half of patients (52.4%) did not take any primary aids following the ocular injury. Patient carelessness (78.1%), childhood curiosity and lack of parental supervision (11.4%), storing superglue in inappropriate places and inadvertently using superglue as eye drops due to poor vision (2.9%), inadequate awareness of superglue applications [used to stick on artificial nails (3.8%), artificial eyelashes (1.9%) and broken tooth (1%)] and being assaulted with glue (1%) were common risk factors. The frequency of ocular superglue injuries in patients referred to Farabi Eye Hospital is relatively high. This finding underlines the importance of public education and awareness about superglue injuries to the eye and taking protective measures and safety strategies in order to prevent these injures.

Contributions of Selected Family Factors to Drug Abuse Among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Manyatta Sub-county, Embu County, Kenya

The aim of this research is to investigate the contributions of selected family factors to drug abuse among adolescents in Kenyan secondary schools. To achieve this, the study sought to investigate the role of parental monitoring, residence, employment and parenting behaviours in predisposing the adolescent in the development to drug use. In addition, the study established the significance of associations between family factors and drug abuse among adolescents. The data were collected from form two students and deputy principals in secondary schools. The findings revealed that lack of parental supervision, parental employment, authoritarian style of parenting and lack of open discussion with adolescents contributed to drug abuse as well as most parents do not take active roles in schools. The study further revealed that not residing with the biological parents was not significantly associated with drug abuse. This was contrary to the view held by most scholars that the adolescents who do not reside with their biological parents were prone to drug abuse. To avoid drug abuse, parental monitoring should be given to all children regardless of the birth order, absence of aggression at home, parental quality time, open discussions with adolescents, authoritative parenting and parental involvement in school activities. Majority of the children born after the first child portrayed antisocial behaviours; hence the further the birth position in the family the higher the engagement in drug abuse Based on these findings, there is need to give all children as much supervision as that given to the first born children. Thus, the schools should organise sessions for parents and educate them on effective ways of parenting adolescents. Parents need to be encouraged to take active role in schools. Therefore, schools must create partnerships by providing an open and accommodative environment with their wider community. This would help in forming a link between the school and the home as well as the school and the family.

HIV Prevalence in Vulnerable Children Living in Jos, Plateau State, North-Central Nigeria

Background: The lack of Parental supervision, including psycho social problems and decrease access to basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, education and health care are examples of the enormous challenges faced by Vulnerable children (VC). These challenges pushes VC to adopt survival and coping strategies, of which some are exposure variables of sexually transmitted infection including HIV infection. In addition, some of these children were orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV. As such, VC should benefit from a health provider initiated counseling and testing for HIV as recommended by the Nigerian HIV policy. However, focus on screening VC for HIV infection has been abysmal; it is on this premise that this study set out to determine the HIV prevalence of vulnerable children in Jos, Nigeria. Methods: Vulnerable children were sampled from 3 different institutions and from households in 3 different communities in Jos, Plateau State with the assistance of Non-Governmental organizations involved in the care of VC. All VC enrolled were interviewed, clinically examined and screened for HIV based on national protocol and standard. Data generated were analyzed using CDC epi info version 7. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of the 237 children enrolled 145 (61.2%) were male VC while 92(38.8%) were female vulnerable children, giving a male female ratio of 1.0: 0.6. HIV sero - positivity was identified in 9 of the 237 VC giving a prevalence of 3.8%, amongst the study subjects. Out of the 9 HIV positive VC, 7 VC (77.8%) were resident in institutions; only two household VC were HIV positive. There was no statistically significant association between place of residence, age of VC, gender and type of vulnerability and HIV status among the studied population. Conclusion: The HIV prevalence of 3.8% in vulnerable children is enormous and appears to be higher amongst children resident in orphanages than those in household

Fluoride Exposure Effects and Dental Fluorosis in Children in Mexico City.

BackgroundThe objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis and to evaluate exposure to fluoridated products in students in the southwest part of the Federal District (Mexico City).Material/MethodsStudents between 10 and 12 years of age who were born and raised in the study zone were evaluated. The level of dental fluorosis was determined using the modified Dean index (DI) using criteria recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). A bivariate analysis was performed with the χ2 test, and odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are presented. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between dental fluorosis and the independent variables.ResultsA total of 239 students were evaluated. Their mean age was 11±0.82 years, and there were 122 (51%) males. Overall, dental fluorosis was found in 59% of participants; 29.3% had very mild fluorosis, 20.9% had mild fluorosis, 6.7% had moderate fluorosis, and 2.1% had severe fluorosis. The mean fluorosis score was 0.887±0.956. In the final logistic regression model, dental fluorosis was significantly associated with frequency of brushing (OR: 0.444; 95% CI: 0.297–0.666) and with the absence of parental supervision (OR: 0.636; 95% CI: 0.525–0.771).ConclusionsThe association found with frequency of brushing and lack of parental supervision may be contributing to the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis.

DEVELOPING CHILDREN’S CHARACTERTHROUGH ISLAMIC GUIDANCE ANDCOUNSELLING DEVELOPMENTIN THEFAMILY SETTING

In line with developments in information technology, there is the tendency of characters such as polite, friendly, polite, religious, and like to work together (mutual aid) to be dwindling. The opposite behaviors like rude, cruel, violent, unlawful, hostility between the groups (ethnic, village, school, college, even among the faculty) are becoming increasingly prominent. This phenomenon indicates that the character of this nation is declining. This is possible because it treats the scenes of violence and asocial behavior that appears through the electronic media that can be viewed and copied at any time. On the other hand, the role of family in helping the development of children’s potency is very important because the family (father-mother) is the important place and area in which the children were born and raised, from where children learn to develop a conscience and emotions, and in which children learn about the environment and interact in ways appropriate. Although the role of family is so important, but not all families are able to perform that role well. It may be caused by a mistake in choosing a potential husband or wife, providing for the family, educating children, crisis, and lack of parental supervision. Looking at the weaknesses of the above, for the idea of prevention—in packaging development guidance and counseling –that might be done by the family in helping develop the potential of biological, psychological, social and faith of a child, the family can grow and develop optimally the children into individual noble character as expected the nation, according to age level and also in line with the will of his Creator, Allah the Almighty.

Relationships of parental monitoring and emotion regulation with early adolescents' sexual behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating influence of parental monitoring (e.g., unsupervised time with opposite sex peers) and adolescent emotional competence on sexual behaviors, among a sample of at-risk early adolescents. This study included 376 seventh-grade adolescents (age, 12-14 years) with behavioral or emotional difficulties. Questionnaires were completed on private laptop computers and assessed adolescent Emotional Competence (including Regulation and Negativity/Lability), Unsupervised Time, and a range of Sexual Behaviors. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate the independent and combined influence of Emotional Competency and Unsupervised Time on adolescent report of Sexual Behaviors. Analyses were stratified by gender to account for the notable gender differences in the targeted moderators and outcome variables. Findings indicated that more unsupervised time was a risk factor for all youth but was influenced by an adolescent's ability to regulate their emotions. Specifically, for males and females, poorer Emotion Regulation was associated with having engaged in a greater variety of Sexual Behaviors. However, lower Negativity/Lability and >1× per week Unsupervised Time were associated with a higher number of sexual behaviors among females only. Based on the findings of this study, a lack of parental supervision seems to be particularly problematic for both male and female adolescents with poor emotion regulation abilities. It may be important to impact both emotion regulation abilities and increase parental knowledge and skills associated with effective monitoring to reduce risk-taking for these youth.

Teachers’ Experience and Perceptions on Conflicts at Schools: Their Solution and Addressing

School is a social institution that is charged with two main responsibilities by society: to educate and to protect the children and their development. Providing a safe and complete education for all the students is a difficult challenge, since the conflicts at school facilities are increasing. Many of them derive from the misunderstanding of others’ aims, feelings, needs or actions. Students must be taught to respect and appreciate the distinctions between people, understand prejudice, causes and ways of the action and its form. This study aimed to analyze teachers’ perception on conflicts that appear in school facilities, their causes, consequences and how they practically deal with conflictive cases at schools; and identifying some interventional forms for the resolution of these conflicts. The study shows that conflicts are a disturbing problem at school and sometimes teachers claim that it is difficult for them to deal with conflicts. Teachers report some of the main causes of conflicts, such as social websites, different interests and viewpoints, individual differences among them (family background), lack of communication and the way of communication, linguistic and cultural differences, disciplinary offences, lack of parental supervision, lack of education related to tolerance, lack of strict discipline and lack of disciplinary measures. School should be focused more on youth education to prevent conflicts. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2015.v5n2p69

A Review on Teen Drug Use: Risks and Protective Factors

Drug use and abuse among adolescence is a major issue in a society. Studies have tried to determine the origins and pathways of drug abuse and addiction—how the problem starts and how it progresses. . Many factors have been identified that help differentiate those more likely to abuse drugs from those less vulnerable to drug abuse. Factors associated with greater potential for drug abuse are called “risk” factors, while those associated with reduced potential for abuse are called “protective” factors (NIDA, 1997).Studies have reported various risk factors associated with drug use among adolescents such as early aggressive behavior, disinhibition, peer pressure, drug availability, poverty, substance abuse, lack of parental supervision, attitude towards drug use and intentions to use drugs, negative family atmosphere, school difficulties and psychopathology (Wong, Tang and Schwarzer,1996 ; Rumpold et al , 2011). Protective factors such as parental monitoring and peer support were found to be associated with less drug abuse (Vitaro, Tremblay and Zoccolillo, 1999; Eggert and Herting, 1991).

Contraceptive Use and Teenage Pregnancy among Child-Headed Households in South Africa

Teenage pregnancy is when a young female between 13 and 19 years old carries a child. It is even more worrisome for teenagers who live in child-headed households because they are vulnerable and at risk of becoming pregnant. A qualitative research technique was employed to conduct the research. There were 40 participants between 13 and 19 years old. These participants lived alone. Usually, the eldest teenager had become the household head. A questionnaire was administered to find out reasons for teenage pregnancy in child-headed households. The questions were based on participants’ sexual health behavior, knowledge about and use of contraceptives and drug and alcohol use. A qualitative investigation was adopted. Out of the 40 cases, the researcher found that 31 participants reported to have at least one child. These were lack of parental supervision or role models, unwillingness to approach outsiders for advice and information, misconception of socially constructed ideologies of relationships, fear of losing a source of income, influence of drug and alcohol use, actual intercourse against pornography and masturbation, poverty, peer pressure, sexual abuse, incorrect knowledge and use of contraceptives, low selfesteem, entering into early, unsupervised relationships, and lack of a plan or achievable dreams. Teenagers who live in child-headed households are more vulnerable to becoming pregnant due to external factors such as poverty, lack of parents, and sexual abuse. However, they also have other contributing factors, such as their abuse of drug and alcohol, that make them even more vulnerable and at risk of getting pregnant. However, it can be recommended that a special policy needs to be implemented for child-headed household; concerned officials must visit the village at least once a month; and follow-up care, a secure home, and strong, quality health education must be provided to teenagers who live in child-headed households

The Impact of Pornography on Adolescent Males’ Sexual Behaviour in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. A Qualitative Study

A disproportionate number of adolescent males view pornography despite the negative effects it has on their psychological, emotional and cognitive development. In many black communities in South Africa, as a result of conformity to peer influence, substance abuse and lack of parental supervision, research indicates that adolescent males tend to access pornography and end up raping women. This empirical study employed qualitative approach to gather information from ten male participants, aged 14 -18, from one secondary school in the Eastern Cape. Ethics were adhered to as the human dignity of the participants was respected. None of the participants withdrew from the focus group. Considering the sensitivity of the topic, the discussion took place in one of the classrooms and not even their educators could identify the participants. The findings revealed that male youth who watch pornography, drink alcohol and gang-rape, which increase their risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, this group of adolescent males reported that their aggressive behaviour is perpetuated by culture. Recommendations are that parents should be involved in discussions of sexual matters with youth. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p2831

Prevalence and Correlates of Depression Among Adolescents in Malaysia

Depression among adolescents has been recognized as a major public health issue. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and correlates of depression among school-going adolescents in Malaysia. Data from the Malaysia Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS) 2012 were analyzed with additional data from the validated DASS21 (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress) questionnaire. The study revealed that 17.7% of respondents had depressive symptoms. Multivariate analysis further showed that feeling lonely (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.99; 95% CI = 2.57-3.47), Indian ethnicity (aOR = 2.00; 95% CI = 1.63-2.44), using drugs (aOR = 1.85; 95% CI = 1.21-2.82), and being bullied (aOR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.60-1.99) were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Lack of parental supervision, alcohol use, and tobacco use were also significant risk factors. Addressing depressive symptoms among adolescents may have implications for managing their risks of being bullied and substance use. This study also highlights the need to further investigate depressive symptoms among adolescents of Indian ethnicity.

Seroprevalence and modifiable risk factors for Toxocara spp. in Brazilian schoolchildren.

BackgroundToxocariasis is a worldwide helminthic zoonosis caused by infection with the larvae of the ascarid worms that comprise the Toxocara spp. Children are particularly prone to infection because they are exposed to the eggs in sandboxes and playgrounds contaminated with dog and cat feces. Certain behaviors, such as a geophagy habit, poor personal hygiene, a lack of parental supervision, close contact with young dogs, and ingestion of raw meat, as well as gender, age, and socioeconomic status, affect the prevalence of the disease. However, previous studies of the risk factors for toxocariasis have generally produced inconsistent results. An epidemiological cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the seroprevalence of IgG anti-Toxocara spp. antibodies and associated factors in schoolchildren from a region in the southeast of Brazil.Methodology/Principal FindingsA total of 252 schoolchildren aged 1 to 12 years (120 males and 132 females) were assessed. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on Toxocara canis larval excretory-secretory antigens was used to determine outcomes. A questionnaire was used to collect information on children, family, and home characteristics. Clinical and laboratory data completed the dataset investigated in this study. Seroprevalence was 15.5% (95%CI 11.5–19.8). Geophagy (aPR 2.38 [95%CI 1.36–4.18], p-value 0.029) and the habit of hand washing before meals (aPR 0.04 [95%CI 0.01–0.11], p-value ≤0.001) were factors associated with increased and decreased seroprevalence, respectively. The income factor and its related variables lost statistical significance after adjustment with a multiple Poisson regression model.Conclusions/SignificanceThe current study confirms that toxocariasis is a public health problem in the evaluated area; modifiable factors such as soil contact and personal hygiene appear to have a greater influence on the acquisition of infection than sociodemographic attributes, thus representing direct targets for disease prevention and control.