| dc.description.abstract | Intestinal Parasitosis (IP) is a group of diseases of public health concern, caused by
different species of protozoa and helminths. Prevalence is highest among children in
developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the Knowledge, Attitude, and
Practices ( KAPs) among parents of children aged 1-5 years in Hanwella Medical Officer of
Health (MOH) area of Sri Lanka towards IP to aid in identifying, planning, and carrying
out e ective community-based interventions. A cross-sectional study was conducted in
Hanwella MOH area, from April to June 2023. A total of 282 parents were recruited
using simple random sampling technique from 3 sub-areas. KAPs towards IP were
assessed using a pre-tested interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and data
was analyzed using SPSS version 25. Bloom’s cut-o point was used to categorize KAP.
Among respondents, 52.1%, 73.0%, and 61.7% had good knowledge, attitude, and practice
respectively. 95% and 98.2% of respondents stated that their children wash their hands
before meals and after defecation respectively. There were signi cant association towards
knowledge with mother’s educational level (p=0.026), family income (p<0.001), housing
conditions (no. of rooms p<0.001, no of bathrooms p<0.000), type of toilet commonly
used (p<0.001), and with the origin of water supply (p=0.006). There was a significant
association between practice with the availability of separate toilets (p<0.000) and a
significant association towards attitude with deworming frequency (p=0.036). There was a
positive linear correlation between, knowledge and attitude, (r=0.282, p<0.001) , attitude
and practice, (r=0.278, p<0.001). Knowledge, attitude, and practices of parents towards
IP were at a good level on average. | en_US |
