Urinary schistosomiasis among female secondary school students in Ndokwa East Local Government Area in Delta State, Nigeria: Knowledge, risk factors and prevalence

Abstract

x`Undiagnosed and untreated cases of urinary schistosomiasis in females usually lead to severe gynaecological complications, collectively known as Female Genital Schistosomiasis. Periodic assessment of schistosomiasis in vulnerable endemic communities will prevent late diagnosis and treatment. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence, knowledge, and risk factors of urinary schistosomiasis among female secondary school students in Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria. A Cross-sectional research design and multi-stage sampling technique were used to select 401 female secondary school students in the Ndokwa East Local Government Area. Participants’ urine samples were obtained and examined for Schistosoma haematobium eggs. A questionnaire was administered to collect information on the knowledge of schistosomiasis and exposure to known schistosomiasis risk factors from each participant. Urinary schistosomiasis was not detected in any of the analysed samples. Most students were uneducated (8% had good knowledge) regarding the infection. The absence of egg- patent prevalence in the samples may be due to mass administration of praziquantel to control the disease in the LGA. Knowledge about the disease was low. None of the independent variables was a significant predictor of knowledge about urinary schistosomiasis.