TITLE:
Awareness, Attitudes, Perceptions and Practices of Scabies Infestation among Caregivers of Children under 5 Years of Age in Villages of Kwale County, Kenya
AUTHORS:
Mariam Macharia, Charles Nzioka, Bridget Kimani, Brian Njihia, Doris W. Njomo
KEYWORDS:
Scabies, Neglected Tropical Diseases, Knowledge, Practices, Attitudes, Perceptions, Kwale County, Kenya
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.11 No.12,
December
30,
2024
ABSTRACT: Background: Scabies, an ectoparasitic disease affects over 300 million people globally. In Kenya, scabies prevalence is at 8.3%. In 2017, the World Health Organization listed it among Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) targeted for elimination by 2030. Creating awareness of hygiene practices, community support and behavior change are essential for successful elimination. The objective of this study was to assess knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, practices and health-seeking behaviors among communities of Kwale County, Kenya. Methods: A mixed methods cross-sectional survey was conducted in eight purposively selected villages of Kwale County after a review of “Diseases of the skin” report. A close-ended questionnaire was administered to 301 caregivers of children under 5 years with observed scabies lesions or reporting a scabies infestation in the previous six months. Four focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with community members stratified by age and gender. Quantitative data was analyzed using Stata version 15.0 and qualitative data by NVivo version 12. Results: Scabies infestation was more common in males, 51.8% than in females, with 56.8% of the infested children below 36 months of age. The main mode of transmission, 59.8% was skin contact with an infected person. The most common symptom of scabies was itching, 90.4% while lack of sleep was the main consequence, 77.1%. Slightly over half, 54.2% indicated that scabies was caused by poor personal hygiene while 41.5% stated that they were not aware of what caused scabies. A majority, 91.7% reported seeking care from a local health facility with, 54.3% indicating a delay in seeking medical care. The qualitative results showed stigma related to scabies infestation and it was viewed as a sign of HIV/AIDS disease. Conclusion: There is a need to create awareness of scabies, causes, prevention, and management, to avert myths and misconceptions and emphasis seeking immediate medical care crucial towards scabies elimination.