Abstract:
Background: Soil-transmitted helminthes (STHs) are common human parasitic diseases
in most of the developing world particularly in Kenya. The ongoing National SchoolBased Deworming Programme (NSBDP) was launched in 2012 and is currently targeting
28 of the 47 endemic Counties. In an effort to improve treatment intervention strategies
among Pre-School Age Children (PSAC) attending Early Childhood Development
Centres (ECDC), we sought to assess parents' knowledge, perceptions and practices on
worm infection.
Methodology: We conducted a qualitative cross-sectional study in four endemic subcounties of two counties of coastal region of Kenya. A total of 20 focus group
discussions (FGDs) categorized by gender were conducted among parents of pre-school
age children. Participants were purposively selected based on homogenous
characteristics with the saturation model determining the number of focus group
discussions conducted. The data collected was analyzed manually by study themes.
Findings: The majority of the parents had knowledge on worms and modes of
transmission of the parasitic infections among the pre-school children. Also, most of the
participants knew the causes of worm infection and the pre- disposing factors mentioned
included poor hygiene and sanitation practices. Due to poor knowledge of signs and
symptoms, misconceptions about the drugs administered during the NSBDP were
common with a large majority of the parents indicating that the drugs were ineffective in
worm control. The findings also indicated that most of the participants sought medical
care on the onset of the signs and symptoms of worm infestation and preferred services
provided at public health facilities as opposed to private health facilities or buying drugs
from the local market citing mistrust of such services. Cultural beliefs, high cost of
building and availability of vast pieces of land for human waste disposal were factors
that contributed to low or lack of latrine ownership and usage by a large majority of the
respondents.
Conclusions: Our results show that to a large extent the parents of the pre-school age
children have information on worm infections. However, some cultural beliefs and
practices on the pathology and mode of transmission mentioned could be a hindrance to
prevention and control efforts. There is need to implement health promotion campaigns
to strengthen the impact of control strategies and reduce infection.