KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN TOWARDS DE-WORMING IN ONE OF THE SCHOOLS IN THE MANZINI REGION IN ESWAT

Abstract

Worms continue to be part and parcel of everyone’s childhood. Soil transmitted helminthic infections are
among the most common infections in humans. School going children are a high risk group as prevalence
and intensity peak in 5–14 year age group. The study described knowledge and attitudes of school going
children towards de-worming in one of the primary schools in Manzini region. A quantitative-descriptive
approach was employed in this study with a total of 50 participants, selected using random sampling. All
participants were aged 10 to 14 years between Grade 4 and 7. A researcher-administered questionnaire
was used. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics through Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS). Ninety-eight percent (98%, n = 49) participants had heard about de-worming, and major sources
of information dissemination about de-worming were nurses in clinics and school teachers. Knowledge on
symptoms of soil transmitted infections was high, but there was knowledge deficit on modes of transmission
as a majority of participants were not aware of major modes of transmission. About (52%, n = 26)
participants reported that de-worming programmes are really effective and they should continue. Fifty-six
percent (56%, n = 28) of participants reported that teachers were not suitable to give de-worming tablets
because they were not knowledgeable about pharmacology and could not manage side effects. This study
shows a relatively moderate level of knowledge about de-worming among children. In addition, pupils had
a negative attitude towards teachers administering the de-worming tablets thus they ended up not
deworming.
KEYWORDS: Worms, de-worming, knowledge, attitudes.
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*CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Nomsa Magagula, Univeristy of Eswatini-Mbabane Campus, Mbabane Hospital Hill,
Eswatini nmagagula@uniswa.sz; Tel: (+268)2517 0700