Open AccessYoung university students have insufficient knowledge about preventive measures against Toxoplasma gondii infection in a region of Southern Brazil
Author(s) -
Priscilla de Laet Sant’Ana,
Fernanda Ferreira Evangelista,
Cibelle Marques Lima,
Thaiane da Silva Candido,
Guilherme Galerani Mossini,
Leonardo Grande de Almeida,
Angélica Sayuri Sakata,
H. P. dos Santos,
Beatriz Hiromi Ishikawa,
Lucas dos Santos de Souza,
Keller Karla de Lima,
Francini Martini Mantelo,
Emerson Barili,
Ana Gabriela Gomes Ferrari Strang,
Ana Lúcia Falavigna-Guilherme
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
research, society and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2525-3409
DOI - 10.33448/rsd-v10i12.20206
Subject(s) - toxoplasmosis , toxoplasma gondii , zoonosis , transmission (telecommunications) , environmental health , medicine , health education , population , disease , disease control , family medicine , veterinary medicine , public health , immunology , nursing , antibody , electrical engineering , engineering
A representative cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the knowledge about toxoplasmosis prevention, transmission routes, clinical features, and who can be infected among students from seven teaching areas of the State University of Maringá, Southern Brazil, using a self-administrated questionnaire. A total of 600 students participated in the study, 86 students did not answer or did not know about toxoplasmosis (14.3%), the other 514 (86.2%) had some information about toxoplasmosis and answered the questionnaires and most of them are unaware of the routes of transmission and prevention of this zoonosis. Less than 50% considered correct the options "do not feed cats with raw meat" (39.9%), "eat only well-cooked meats" (40.1%), and "ingest only filtered or boiled water" (42.6%). Also, misconceptions about prevention were identified when statements such as "doing fecal exams regularly" were considered correct by 20.0% of participants. Students' average of correct answers in the health and biological areas was statistically higher than in other areas. The agricultural sciences area had the worst performance. In conclusion, there is a critical need for effective educational programs to increase the population's awareness of toxoplasmosis since correct preventive practices are critical to control and reduce one disease's infection without definitive treatment.