Prevalence of scabies and community knowledge, attitudes, and practices on the disease in the middle belt of Ghana
Abstract Background Lack of epidemiological data from most countries, including Ghana, has hampered the development of a global strategy for combating scabies. This study examined the prevalence of scabies infection and community knowledge, attitudes and practices towards the disease to provide evid...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-24172-3 |
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| Summary: | Abstract Background Lack of epidemiological data from most countries, including Ghana, has hampered the development of a global strategy for combating scabies. This study examined the prevalence of scabies infection and community knowledge, attitudes and practices towards the disease to provide evidence on the control of scabies in Ghana. Methods The cross-sectional study was carried out from June to August 2021 in five communities in the Wenchi and Tain districts of the Bono region of Ghana. Individuals from the age of 4 years were recruited for the prevalence study after giving informed consent in writing or, in the case of children, consent from their parents or legal guardians. Standardised skin examinations were carried out on skin to detect clinical signs of scabies. Skin scrapes from suspected scabbed areas were examined by microscopy to confirm the presence of mites, eggs or pellets of faeces. In addition, questionnaires were given to all participants aged 10 years and over to assess their knowledge, attitudes and practices on scabies. Results A total of 164 people participated in the study [median age: 27.0, interquartile range (18–47) years] of which 101(61.6%) were females. The overall prevalence of confirmed scabies was 9.4% (15/164, 95% CI = 5.6–14.5), with the Abekwai 3 community presenting the highest confirmed scabies prevalence of 13.5% (5/37, 95% CI = 5.9–28.0). The prevalence of scabies was higher in males at 11.1% (7/63, 95% CI = 5.5–21.2%) than in females at 7.9% (8/101, 95% CI = 4.1–14.9). Married, non-farmers had significantly higher odds of being infested with scabies. Only 29.3% of participants had good level of knowledge, whilst 32.9% had good attitudes and practices towards scabies and its control. Conclusion We confirmed a high prevalence of scabies in the middle belt of Ghana as three of our communities had prevalence above the WHO threshold of 10% where MDA is indicated for the community. A worryingly low level of knowledge, good attitudes and practices on scabies was observed, highlighting the need for enhanced, coordinated and targeted educational and behavioural change campaigns by the Ghana National Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme to remedy the situation. |
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| ISSN: | 1471-2458 |