PERCEPTION OF MOTHERS OF UNDER-FIVE CHILDREN ABOUT INTESTINAL WORMS AND PRACTICE OF REGULAR DEWORMING AT MONIYA, AKINYELE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OYO STATE.

Abstract

Intestinal worms are prevalent in the developing world and they constitute a major cause of malnutrition and other health problems including retardation of mental and physical development in children. Little is known on cultural beliefs that promote the prevalence of intestinal worms and factors influencing deworming practices in the population. This study therefore assess the perception of mothers of under-five children on intestinal worms infestation and practice of regular deworming in Moniya, Akinyele Local Government Area (LGA), Oyo state, Nigeria. This study was descriptive and cross-sectional in design. A three-stage sampling technique was used to select 500 respondents from eleven out of twenty-two communities in Moniya. A validated semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire included a 10-point perception scale, questions relating to practice of regular deworming and factors influencing it. Perception scores of 0-4 and 5-10 were classified as negative and positive perception respectively. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used to analyse the data at 0.05 level of significance. The respondents age was 29.2 ± 7.6 years, 65% were married and 70% were in monogamous relationship. Majority (89.6%) were Yoruba and 55.5% had post-primary education. Majority (73.0%) of the respondents had a negative perceptive perception relating to intestinal worms while seventy percent were of the opinion that worms are present in the human intestine from births. About 70% perceived that certain quantities of intestinal worms are needed in the body to stay healthy. Age, marital status, religion, educational status, occupation and parity of the respondents did not influence their perception about intestinal worms. A higher proportion (68.5%) of the respondents with post primary education and many in monogamous family (78.3%) regularly dewormed their children. More than half (58.2%) of the respondents had ever dewormed their children of which, 3.8% did so every month, close to a quarter (24.2%) every three months while only 0.8% did so bi-annually as recommended. Age, marital status, religion, occupation and parity of the respondents did not influence their perception about intestinal worms and practice of regular deworming. Majority (77.2%) claimed they had dewormed themselves in the past but only 43.6% did so in the last 5 years preceeding the study. The cost of worm expellers was perceived by 82.6% not to be a barrier for regular deworming of under-five children. However, 32.0% of the respondents could not afford the cost of worming medicines. Majority (74.0%) believed worm expellers had to be taken with sugar and 70.0% stated that it should be taken before breakfast to be effective. Although majority of the respondents had ever deworm their wards, their perceptions about intestinal worm infestation and practice of regular worming have serious health implications. Health education strategies such as public enlightenment through mass media, training, deworming outreaches, and facility-based health talk are needed to address their perception about intestinal worms and improve their worming practices.