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Table 4 Association of caregivers’ knowledge regarding schistosomiasis with infection status among themselves and their children

From: Urogenital schistosomiasis and risk factors of infection in mothers and preschool children in an endemic district in Zimbabwe

Categorya

Childrenb

Child’s infection status

Caregivers

Caregiver’s infection status

Total

Infected

Uninfected

P-value

Total

Infected

Uninfected

P-value

Had knowledge of schistosomiasis

502 (93.8)

69 (97.2)

433 (93.3)

0.208

304 (93.5)

57 (18.8)

247 (81.3)

0.973

Mother’s history of infection

 Had infection before

251 (50.0)

41 (59.4)

210 (48.5)

0.092

148 (48.7)

24 (42.1)

124 (50.2)

0.270

Caregivers indicating they are currently infected

 Yes

152 (30.3)

38 (55.1)

114 (26.3)

< 0.001*

96 (31.6)

21 (36.8)

75 (30.4)

0.537

 No

177 (35.3)

13 (18.8)

164 (37.9)

102 (33.6)

16 (28.1)

86 (34.8)

 I don’t know

173 (34.5)

18 (26.1)

155 (35.8)

106 (34.9)

20 (35.1)

86 (34.8)

Schistosomiasis symptoms

 Haematuria

364 (72.5)

52 (75.4)

312 (72.1)

0.568

217 (71.4)

38 (66.7)

179 (72.5)

0.382

 Weight loss

132 (26.3)

15 (21.7)

117 (27.0)

0.355

73 (24.0)

12 (21.1)

61 (24.7)

0.562

 General body weakness

64 (12.8)

6 (8.7)

58 (13.4)

0.277

40 (13.2)

10 (17.5)

30 (12.2)

0.277

 Headache

6 (1.2)

1 (1.5)

5 (1.2)

0.834

5 (1.6)

0 (0)

5 (2.0)

0.279

 Nausea

43 (8.6)

9 (13.0)

34 (7.9)

0.152

27 (8.9)

7 (12.3)

20 (8.1)

0.317

 Dysuria

45 (9.0)

7 (10.1)

38 (8.8)

0.712

32 (10.5)

8 (14.0)

24 (9.7)

0.338

 Poor school performance

7 (1.4)

1 (1.5)

6 (1.4)

0.967

5 (1.6)

0 (0)

5 (2.0)

0.279

 Abdominal pain

34 (6.8)

7 (10.1)

27 (6.2)

0.230

24 (7.9)

3 (5.3)

21 (8.5)

0.414

 Genital itchiness in women

12 (2.4)

2 (2.9)

10 (2.3)

0.768

8 (2.6)

2 (3.5)

6 (2.4)

0.650

 Infertility

7 (1.4)

2 (2.9)

5 (1.2)

0.251

8 (2.6)

1 (1.8)

7 (2.8)

0.646

 Recurrent illness

11 (2.2)

2 (2.9)

9 (2.1)

0.666

6 (2.0)

1 (1.8)

5 (2.0)

0.895

 I don’t know

21 (4.2)

3 (4.4)

18 (4.2)

0.941

18 (5.9)

2 (3.5)

16 (6.5)

0.392

Can schistosomiasis be treated? (Yes)

501 (99.8)

69 (100)

432 (99.8)

0.689

303 (99.7)

57 (100)

246 (99.6)

0.630

Knowledge of Health Centre as a place for schistosomiasis treatment

499 (99.4)

68 (98.6)

431 (99.5)

0.323

301 (99.0)

57 (100)

244 (98.8)

0.403

Prevention and controlc

 Treatment using anti-schistosomal medicine

139 (27.7)

18 (26.1)

121 (27.9)

0.749

70 (23.0)

13 (22.8)

57 (23.1)

0.965

 Avoiding contact with unprotected water bodies

220 (43.8)

25 (36.2)

195 (45.0)

0.171

135 (44.4)

27 (47.4)

108 (43.7)

0.618

 Health education

43 (8.6)

10 (14.5)

33 (7.6)

0.059**

32 (10.6)

8 (14.0)

24 (9.8)

0.344

 Provision of WASHd facilities

70 (14.0)

9 (13.0)

61 (14.1)

0.811

54 (17.8)

5 (8.8)

49 (19.9)

0.048*

  1. aFor the variables with a yes or no response, only the number (%) of the yes responses are documented
  2. bChildren were not interviewed but they are described against their caregiver’s responses
  3. cMore than one response was considered
  4. dWater, sanitation and hygiene
  5. *Significance level of 0.05; **Borderline significance of 0.05
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