Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of parents/guardians regarding pediculosis in the Umm el-Jimal district of Jordan

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of pediculosis capitis in one district in Jordan, and to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents/guardians regarding head lice. The study was performed in Jordan’s Umm el-Jimal district from February 2010 to May 2010, and involved the surveying of 105 randomly selected households containing a total of 213 children. The households’ parents were interviewed for their knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding pediculosis, and afterward their children’s hair was checked for head lice via a 5-min visual scalp examination. Chi-square testing was used to analyse the data, with statistical significance assumed at p < 0.05. The prevalence rate of pediculosis among the 213 children was found to be 14.6%. Parental knowledge of head lice was found to be very limited; only 35.2% of the parents/guardians correctly answered 10 of the 20 questions (50%), and only 17.1% correctly answered 14 questions (70%). More than 94% of the parents reported feeling shame upon learning that their children were infested with pediculosis, and nearly 90% felt too ashamed to ask for help from a healthcare provider. Many parents used traditional/local techniques that they believed to be effective in managing pediculosis; 61% of the parents applied kerosene to the scalps of infested individuals, 39.9% used medical shampoo and 37.6% used special combs. There is a clear deficiency in Jordanian parents’ knowledge of, and practices concerning, pediculosis capitis. It is recommended that the Jordanian Ministry of Health and local health departments work together to ensure the dissemination of accurate and consistent head lice information to families.