Abstract
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections remain among the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases affecting children in sub-Saharan Africa; periodic mass deworming remains the cornerstone of control. This study assessed caregiver attitudes toward intermittent deworming programs, safety concerns and misconceptions among caregivers attending the Epidemiological Unit in Makurdi, Benue State, North-Central Nigeria.
Methods/Subjects: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 387 caregivers. A structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to assess attitude items, including perceived drug safety, trust in government deworming campaigns, and willingness to recommend deworming to others. Responses were checked for completeness and scored into predefined attitude categories (poor, fair, good). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (IBM SPSS version 25).
Results: Most caregivers (59.9%) demonstrated a good attitude toward deworming programs, 39.8% demonstrated a fair attitude, and only 0.3% demonstrated a poor attitude. Although overall trust in healthcare workers and government-led initiatives was strong, persistent misconceptions attributing helminthiasis to bad spirits, hereditary factors, or spiritual attacks — rather than poor hygiene and sanitation — remained common. Fears of anthelminthic drug side effects, particularly vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and diarrhoea, contributed to a preference for herbal or traditional remedies over biomedical anthelminthics.
Conclusion: Although the overall caregiver attitude toward intermittent deworming in this population was predominantly favourable, residual misconceptions regarding disease causation and fear of drug side effects constitute critical, addressable barriers to uniform program adoption. Targeted health education addressing these specific misconceptions and safety concerns, delivered through trusted community and health-worker channels, could further strengthen caregiver engagement and deworming coverage.

Key words: Caregiver Attitude; Deworming; Mass Drug Administration; Misconceptions; Nigeria; Soil-Transmitted Helminths.