Association Between Demographic Factors and Knowledge of Cholera Prevention in Owerri North Local Government Area in IMO State, Nigeria



   Volume 11
Somtochukwu Mercy Orji, Sandra Chijioke Njoku, Chinwe Grace Onwuagba, Ede Allison Okorie, Martin Chigozie Opara, Uzoma Chidiebere Ajoku, Grace Chinyere Egwuogu

Published online: 15 August 2025

Article Views: 20

Abstract

Cholera continues to pose a serious public health threat in Nigeria, especially in communities with poor access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services. This study set out to evaluate association between demographic factors and knowledge of cholera prevention in Owerri North Local Government Area in Imo State, Nigeria. The study employed a cross-sectional design to achieve the study objectives. Structured pretested questionnaire were used to collect data from 412 randomly selected respondents and the result was analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests to explore any association between knowledge levels and socio-demographic factors.Items used to evaluate knowledge of cholera prevention include demographic factors of the respondents were age,education and occupation play a vital role in the level knowledge of cholera prevention. The findings of the study reveals that most respondents (69.7%) had heard about cholera, getting their information mainly from local health centers (40.8%) and the media (24.0%). However about (17.7% ) didn’t know that cholera is a bacterial disease spread through contaminated food and water. Half of the respondents (51.2%) correctly recognized symptoms like severe diarrhea and dehydration, while 38.3% identified the rice-water stool. Only (26.9%) were aware of any cholera prevention programs in their communities. While nearly (60%) felt they were at risk of getting cholera, close to (43%) were not satisfied with the existing preventive efforts. Some of the major obstacles people mentioned included difficulty building toilets in sandy soil (25.2%) and limited financial resources (15.0%). Statistical analysis showed strong links between people’s knowledge of cholera and their education level (p = 0.000), occupation (p = 0.001), age (p = 0.012), marital status (p = 0.025), religion (p = 0.001), and ethnic group (p = 0.033). Those with higher levels of education and formal jobs tended to know more about the disease. In conclusion , even though most people had heard of cholera, many lacked detailed knowledge about how to prevent it. It’s essential to invest in targeted education campaigns and practical support that reflect the realities of each community.Tailoring strategies to local challenges like soil type and economic barriers will go a long way in reducing the risk of future outbreaks.

Reference

  1. W. H. Organization. (2019) Cholera – global surveillance summary, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://shorturl.at/rH5dj
  2. K. O. Elimian et al., “Descriptive epidemiology of cholera outbreak in nigeria, january–november, 2018: implications for the global roadmap strategy,” BMC public health, vol. 19, no. 1, p. 1264, 2019.
  3. A. A. Gilmartin, K. S. Ralston, and W. A. Petri Jr, “Inhibition of amebic cysteine proteases blocks amebic trogocytosis but not phagocytosis,” The Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 221, no. 10, pp. 1734–1739, 2020.
  4. M. Ali, A. R. Nelson, A. L. Lopez, and D. A. Sack, “Updated global burden of cholera in endemic countries,” PLoS neglected tropical diseases, vol. 9, no. 6, p. e0003832, 2015.
  5. A. O. Adagbada, S. A. Adesida, F. O. Nwaokorie, M.-T. Niemogha, and A. O. Coker, “Cholera epidemiology in nigeria: an overview,” Pan African Medical Journal, vol. 12, no. 1, 2012.
  6. W. H. Organization. (2004) First steps for managing an outbreak of acute diarrhoea. [Online]. Available: https://shorturl.at/IIhxR
  7. C. C. Dan-Nwafor, U. Ogbonna, P. Onyiah, S. Gidado, B. Adebobola, P. Nguku, and P. Nsubuga, “A cholera outbreak in a rural north central nigerian community: an unmatched case-control study,” BMC public health, vol. 19, no. 1, p. 112, 2019.
  8. L. J. Cronbach, “Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests,” psychometrika, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 297–334, 1951.
  9. O. E. O. M. Lawoyin TO, Ogunbodede NA, “Outbreak of cholera in ibadan, nigeria,” Eur J Epidemiol., vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 367–370, 1999.
  10. N. O. C. . O. J. B. . M. Egbere, O. J. and . misconceptions about cholera in rural Nigeria: Implications for prevention. Journal of Public Health in Africa, 10(1), “Myths and misconceptions about cholera in rural nigeria: Implications for prevention,” Journal of Public Health in Africa, vol. 10, no. 1, p. 29, 2019.
  11. M. B. M. Eman Merghani Ali and M. Tawhari, “Knowledge, attitude, and practice study regarding cholera among the people in jazan city, ksa,” J Family Med Prim Care, vol. 10, no. 2, p. 712–717, 2020.
  12. A. A. . O. A. O. Adewale, B., “Perception and prevention practices of cholera in selected slums of lagos state, nigeria,” Nigerian Journal of Health Sciences, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 57–66, 2018.
  13. I. T. F. Dairo, M. D., “Effectiveness of communitybased interventions on cholera knowledge and practice in rural nigeria,” BMC Public Health, vol. 20, no. 1, p. 724, 2020.

To Cite this article

S. M. Orji et al., “Association Between Demographic Factors and Knowledge of Cholera Prevention in Owerri North Local Government Area in IMO State, Nigeria”, International Journal of Health and Medical Sciences, vol. 11, pp.1-10, 2025. Doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.20469/ijhms.11.30001