Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Toxoplasmosis Prevention Among Pregnant Women Attending Al-Bayda Medical Center, Libya

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a common zoonotic disease, transmitted to humans by cats or through contaminated water and food. Adults may be asymptomatic. However, infection during pregnancy poses a significant risk to the fetus, potentially leading to complications such as miscarriage, birth defects, and developmental delays in the newborn. Objective: This study aimed to assess pregnant women's knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices regarding toxoplasmosis, to analyze the relationship between these factors, and to identify the impact of certain demographic factors. Results: The results showed that the majority of participants were between 21 and 30 years old (52%) and in their third trimester of pregnancy (47%), and that approximately one-third of them had a history of miscarriage (33%). The results also indicated a high level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding toxoplasmosis among most women: 70% reported having good knowledge, 73% had positive attitudes, and 68% practiced preventive measures. Correlation tables revealed statistically significant positive relationships between these three areas. A higher level of knowledge was associated with better attitudes and preventive behaviors. Analysis of differences also revealed significant differences favoring women who did not own a cat, with their scores for knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices being 10–15% higher than those of women who did own one (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the study results show that most pregnant women have good knowledge and practice effective preventive measures regarding toxoplasmosis. However, awareness of mother-to-child transmission remains moderate and needs improvement. The positive correlation between knowledge, practices, and attitudes suggests that strengthening health education could help improve preventive behaviors and reduce the risk of infection.