Table 1 Knowledge about intestinal helminths, symptoms, transmission and prevention among Orang Asli who had prior knowledge on intestinal helminths (n = 132)

Source of information

 Health clinic/hospitals

27

20.5

 Health workers/sanitary inspectors

14

10.6

 Mass media

3

2.3

 Other people

3

2.3

 School

2

1.5

 Do not remember

83

62.9

Signs and symptoms

 Abdominal pain

21

33.3

 Abdominal distention

21

33.3

 Diarrhoea

19

30.2

 Vomiting

15

23.8

 Loss of appetite

16

25.4

 Pale face

12

19.0

 Body weakness

10

15.9

Transmission

 Eating contaminated food

17

27.4

 Dirty hands

15

24.2

 Walking barefooted

15

24.2

 Drinking untreated water

7

11.3

 Playing with soil

12

19.4

 Not cutting nails regularly

6

9.7

 Eating soil (geophagy)

5

8.1

Prevention

 Taking de-worming drugs

18

13.6

 Washing of hands before eating

16

12.1

 Wearing of shoes when outside the house

13

9.8

 Boiling of untreated drinking water

4

3.0