Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Related to Toxoplasma gondii Infection among Rural and SemiUrban Community in Malaysi - Abstract
Opportunistic infections such as toxoplasmosis pose an increasingly ominous threat to public health as the prevalence of primary and secondary immunocompromise increases. Hence, a cross-sectional study of knowledge, attitude and practice related to Toxoplasma gondii infection among rural and semi-urban community was conducted in three semi-urban areas in Malaysia. Three hundred and twenty one participants were recruited through convenience sampling in this study. A self-administered, modified validated questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire covered participants’ demographic profiles, source of water, contact with cats, personal health practices and knowledge about toxoplasmosis. Analysis of the data revealed that poor hand hygiene and poor personal health practices were observed to a significant degree amongst the younger age group, males and individuals with low education level. The general population was also found to have low knowledge and awareness about toxoplasmosis. Such knowledge gap needs to be addressed and further studies need to be conducted to evaluate population awareness and practices which place individuals at risk of infection so that more effective educational programmes and other interventions can be carried out.