Social, Cultural and Environmental determinants of a Proposed Schistosomiasis Health Education Intervention in Eggua, Nigeria

Background: Central to the utility of health education in the control of schistosomiasis is an understanding of the way a community perceives, understands and can explain how schistosomiasis occurs among them. Methods: In order to study the environmental, social and cultural determinants of continued schistosomiasis prevalence in Eggua, we administered semi-structured questionnaires to 372 adults between November 2012 and December 2015which asked about the perceptions, understanding of the community and the patterns of schistosomiasis. Results: The respondents’ ages ranged from 35 to above 60 years. 44.7% had no schooling and 39.6% had a least a primary education. 48.4%were farmers, 29.8% traders, and 1.6%fisher-folk. Majority (79%, 95% CI 76.5-83.0) were of a Christian denomination where members spend long periods in the river praying. Water contact was frequent with 89.5% visiting the rivers daily. Despite the research surveys taking place in Yewa since 2009, 81.5% of respondents did not know the cause of blood in urine, and self-reported haematuria was low, 4.6%. Latrine use was negligible, up to 95% of respondents did not have a latrine. Those who had heard about schistosomiasis were not well-educated on prevention methods; 89.5% didn’t know they could be re-infected after treatment. Conclusion: Formal Health Education initiatives which consider these findings should be designed for the control of schistosomiasis in Eggua.