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A multicenter survey on toxoplasmosis knowledge among pregnant women in Poland (the TOWER study).

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii ranges widely in different areas of the world and different populations. Although toxoplasmosis is typically benign and asymptomatic, it induces major complications in immunocompromised individuals and during pregnancy. Prevention of maternal primary infection constitutes the major tool for avoiding congenital T. gondii infections and toxoplasmosis complications. The preventive measures depend on the women's knowledge about toxoplasmosis. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge on toxoplasmosis among pregnant women in Poland. METHODS:The study was conducted between October 2016 and January 2017 in 3 Polish cities. During a visit in a hospital outpatient clinic, pregnant women aged >?16 years fulfilled a previously validated questionnaire. The questions concerned personal data (age, parity, educational level, place of residence), toxoplasmosis knowledge (etiology, routes of transmission, symptoms, sequelae), and sources consulted to collect information. RESULTS:Overall, 465 pregnant women participated in the survey; 439 (94.4%) were aware of toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis was perceived as a zoonotic disease by 77.4%, as a parasitic disease by 41.7%, as a disease transmitted through poor hand hygiene by 8.6%, as a childhood illness by 4%, and as a congenital disease by 0.4%. Regarding the transmission route, 84.5% of women pointed at a domestic cat, 46.7% at eating raw or undercooked meat. The total of 84.3% did not know toxoplasmosis symptoms, and 12.0% stated that they did not present the symptoms. In multivariate analysis, younger age (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.67-4.49; p?

SUBMITTER: Smereka J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6171245 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A multicenter survey on toxoplasmosis knowledge among pregnant women in Poland (the TOWER study).

Smereka Jacek J Szarpak Lukasz L Ruetzler Kurt K Schacham Yehoshua Y Smereka Adam A Dabrowski Marek M Terpilowska Marzena M Terpilowski Lukasz L Adam Ishag I

BMC pregnancy and childbirth 20181003 1

<h4>Background</h4>The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii ranges widely in different areas of the world and different populations. Although toxoplasmosis is typically benign and asymptomatic, it induces major complications in immunocompromised individuals and during pregnancy. Prevention of maternal primary infection constitutes the major tool for avoiding congenital T. gondii infections and toxoplasmosis complications. The preventive measures depend on the women's knowledge about toxoplasmosis ...[more]

PMID: 30285660

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Project description:BackgroundGlobally distributed with variable prevalence depending on geography, toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. This disease is usually benign but poses a risk for immunocompromised people and for newborns of mothers with a primary infection during pregnancy because of the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis (CT). CT can cause severe damage to fetuses-newborns. To our knowledge, no study has been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa on toxoplasmosis seroprevalence, seroconversion and CT in a large longitudinal cohort and furthermore, no observation has been made of potential relationships with malaria.MethodsWe performed a retrospective toxoplasmosis serological study using available samples from a large cohort of 1,037 pregnant women who were enrolled in a malaria follow-up during the 2008-2010 period in a rural area in Benin. We also used some existing data to investigate potential relationships between the maternal toxoplasmosis serological status and recorded malaria infections.ResultsToxoplasmosis seroprevalence, seroconversion and CT rates were 52.6%, 3.4% and 0.2%, respectively, reflecting the population situation of toxoplasmosis, without targeted medical intervention. The education level influences the toxoplasmosis serological status of women, with women with little or no formal education have greater immunity than others. Surprisingly, toxoplasmosis seropositive pregnant women tended to present lower malaria infection during pregnancy (number) or at delivery (presence) and to have lower IgG levels to Plasmodium falciparum Apical Membrane Antigen 1, compared to toxoplasmosis seronegative women.ConclusionsThe high toxoplasmosis seroprevalence indicates that prevention against this parasite remains important to deploy and must be accessible and understandable to and for all individuals (educated and non-educated). A potential protective role against malaria conferred by a preexisting toxoplasmosis infection needs to be explored more precisely to examine the environmental, parasitic and/or immune aspects.

Project description:BackgroundWomen's knowledge of the nutritional guidelines during pregnancy can affect the health and nutritional status of both mother and child. Having good nutritional information related to maternal dietary intake and healthy lifestyles is therefore of great importance. However, there is limited published research that demonstrates pregnant women's knowledge of the nutritional guidelines during pregnancy in Lebanon.ObjectiveTo assess the knowledge on food sources and energy recommendations as well as food safety practices and diet-health relationship among women during pregnancy in Lebanon.DesignA cross-sectional study.MethodsThe study was conducted at prenatal care clinics in Lebanon, and all pregnant women present, regardless of nationality, were invited to complete the self-administered nutrition knowledge questionnaire. The study assessed five different nutrition knowledge domains (food sources of nutrients, dietary behaviors, food safety knowledge, micronutrients for fetal development, and energy requirements and weight gain) and the demographic characteristics of pregnant women who completed a multidimensional online survey based on validated and existing measures.ResultsFour-hundred and ten responses were obtained. Approximately half of respondents (47%) held a university degree, for 42% of women this was their first pregnancy, and 71% had a planned pregnancy. Among the different nutrition knowledge domains, the highest levels of knowledge were for the behaviors that can minimize the effect of nausea/vomiting, heartburn, and constipation during pregnancy (63.9%) and the lowest levels of knowledge was for the importance of iodine and omega-3 fatty acids in pregnancy (28.4%). Most of females knew about food safety practices during pregnancy (72.9%) but less than half were knowledgeable about listeriosis contamination (45.9%), and the types of fish that are the safest to select during pregnancy (47.8%).ConclusionDespite the fact that pregnant women had an adequate level of knowledge in different nutrition-related areas, there was inadequate level of awareness related to critical nutrients and behaviors that can have adverse effects on mother and/or baby. Therefore, there is a need to focus on specific maternal nutrition aspects such as iron-rich foods, listeriosis food contamination, and nutrients that aid in fetal brain and retina development.

Dataset Information

A multicenter survey on toxoplasmosis knowledge among pregnant women in Poland (the TOWER study).

Publications

A multicenter survey on toxoplasmosis knowledge among pregnant women in Poland (the TOWER study).

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