Assessment Of Health Knowledge, Practices and Risk Factors Associated with Intestinal Helminthes Among Students of Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma Oru East Local Government, Nigeria

A study was carried out on 620 students of Imo State Polytechnic Omuma using structured questionnaire between May and October 2023 to assess the health knowledge, practice and risk factors associated with intestinal helminthes. The demographic result of the study showed that male (56.5%) respondents were more than female (43.5%). The study also showed that 375(60.5%) and 245(39.5%) of respondents were within the age group of 17-20 years and 21-30 years respectively. Considering the type of toilet facilities utilized among the correspondents, 43% of the correspondents reside in accommodation with water closet facilities, 35.5% utilizes pit latrine while the other 22.5 % of the respondents’ resort to indiscriminate defecation in nearby bushes due to lack of toilet facilities in their residential accommodation. The study further observed that (55%) of the respondents used soap and water to wash their hands, while (45%) use only water. 40.1 % of respondents admitted passing out worm (Ascaris lumbricoides) before as against (59.9%) that never experience it. Poor hygiene (12.3%), contaminated food (25.2%), improper cooked food (7.2%), are some of the major reasons highlighted by respondents on the knowledge of causes of worm infection among other opinion, while (8.8%) respondents have no idea on the causes of worm infection. It was observed that (8.1%) of the student claim that worm is natural and everybody has worm, while (0.8%) of students attributed it to the eating of mango fruit, sugary things (11.5%), eating of excess meat (5.5%), starvation (0.6%) while (8.8%) do not know the exact cause. 32.5% of respondents admitted being re-infected after treatment, stating that this might be due to not obeying hygiene rules and regulation. 20.5% believed that once they are treated, they cannot be re-infected again. 36.5% believed that it can be prevented while (10.5%) believed that it cannot be prevented. The respondents believed that government can contribute greatly to good water and environmental sanitation in the life of its citizen through health education, regular environmental sanitation practices and the provision of social amenities for the good of the people.