WATER CONTACT ACTIVITIES AND SOCIO- CULTURAL FACTORS ON URINARY SCHISTOSOMIASIS IN RURAL AREA OF OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Study on water contact activities and socio-cultural factors affecting the transmission of urinary schistosomiasis in rural community of Osun state was carried out. An endemic community located very close to Erinle dam was identified during general epidemiological survey of the state. Direct water contact observations and human water contact activities were made at Erinle dam near Ilie community. Also questionnaire was used for the study. Result showed that knowledge about the disease was very low. Only 500 (30.30%) respondents had knowledge of urinary schistomiasis by the local name “ATOSIAJA”. Water contact activity showed that most of the respondents 600 (36.4%) visited Erinle Dam for domestic purposes. Other purposes were recreation 300 (18.2%) and farming/fishing 100 (6.1%). Attitude and practices towards urinary schistosomiasis was very poor as regards the belief as a curable disease, a preventable disease and gravity of the disease. Also, in the area of personal hygiene, safety measures and treatment; those that believed in no remedy had the highest value of 546 (33.1%). The study on water contact activities either through direct observation or self reporting through questionnaires confirmed observational studies as more valid than interviews of reported water contact in the study area. The study emphasized water contact and socio-cultural factors as important guide to control interventions.