Knowledge Regarding Prevention of Worm Infestation Among Mothers of Under-Five Children in an Urban Area of Surat, Gujarat, India: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection is a common preventable cause of malnutrition and anaemia in young children. Mothers are the primary caregivers of under-five children, so their knowledge of prevention is central to control at the household level.Objectives: To assess knowledge regarding prevention of worm infestation among mothers of under-five children in an urban area of Surat, to examine the association between knowledge and selected demographic variables, and to develop an informative booklet on prevention of worm infestation.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 60 mothers of children aged 1 to 5 years, selected by non-probability purposive sampling. Data were collected using a demographic preform and a 30-item multiple-choice knowledge questionnaire (maximum score 30) in English and Gujarati, validated by subject experts. Scores of 0–10, 11–20 and 21–30 were classified as poor, average and good knowledge. Descriptive statistics and the chi-square test were used.Results: The mean knowledge score was 17.35 ± 4.69 (range 6–26). Seven mothers (11.7%) had poor, 39 (65.0%) average and 14 (23.3%) good knowledge. Educational status was significantly associated with knowledge level (χ² = 29.05, df = 4, p < 0.001): illiterate mothers scored markedly lower (mean 11.6) than mothers with primary (18.4) or secondary education (19.5). No significant association was found with age, religion, occupation, family type, number of children or age of the child.Conclusion: Most mothers had only average knowledge of worm infestation prevention, and no mother with primary or secondary education had poor knowledge while more than half of illiterate mothers did. Health education that is simple, visual and suited to low-literacy mothers should be prioritised. The informative booklet developed in this study can support such education, and its effectiveness should be tested in an interventional study.