Awareness And Practices Of Preventive Behaviors Toward Intestinal Parasitic Infection Among Mothers Of Preschool Children

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Bahiga Galal Abd El-Aal , Sabah E. Nady , Eman A. Shokr , Marina Wheed Shokry

Abstract

Intestinal parasitic infections are of the most prevalent diseases in the world, predominantly in developing countries. Around 1.5 billion people, mostly children Up to 300 million preschool children were infected with intestinal parasites. Aim: Determine the awareness and practices of preventive behaviors toward intestinal parasitic infection among mothers of preschool children. Design: Descriptive correlational design. Sample: A purposive sample of 300 mothers with preschool children in Menoufia Governorate. Instruments: Self -administered questionnaire that included three parts. Part1: Socio-demographic characteristics of mothers, part2: Assessment of mother’s awareness about intestinal parasitic infections. Part3: Assessment of mother’s practices of prevention and control of intestinal parasitic infections. Results: The majority of the studied mothers had low level of good awareness about intestinal parasites; most of them didn’t practice the measures to prevent intestinal parasitic infections, mother education, mother occupation and father education were factors affecting mother’s awareness and practice of preventive behaviors of intestinal parasitic infection. There was a positive correlation between total awareness score and total practices score of preventive behaviors toward intestinal parasitic infection among mothers of preschool children. Conclusion: Lack of good awareness and practices among mothers of preschool children regarding prevention and control of intestinal parasitic infections, Recommendation: Planning and conducting health education programs in the different community health care settings and mass media for the public, especially the mothers are highly recommended because it can play significant effects in improving their awareness and practices for prevention of intestinal parasitic infections among their children.

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