Background and study aim: Lindi District is among hotspots area for lymphatic filariasis (LF) after eleven rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) in Tanzania. Though transmission has remarkably been reduced, lymphoedema has remained a public health problem. The frequency of the community participation in the MDA, their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding lymphoedema management has not been fully established. This study examined the frequency of community participation on the MDA and their KAP on lymphoedema management in the Lindi district.
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted in July 2020. A total of 954 individuals were interviewed on their KAP on lymphoedema management and MDA by using an interview schedule. Data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22. The community KAP was summarized into frequency tables and proportions. The chi-square test was used to compare proportions at the significance level of 0.05.
Results: The large majority (83.9%) participated in the previous MDA rounds, with more than three-quarters of them (78.5 %) having participated in ≤ 5 rounds. More than half of the community members had an inadequate level of knowledge (60%) and negative attitudes (53.7%) regarding MDA and lymphoedema management, with about three quarters (74.2%) doing inappropriate lymphoedema management practices (74.2%). Age groups, marital status and residence were significantly associated (p < 0.000) with the appropriateness of community practices for lymphoedema management.
Conclusion: There was a low level of knowledge, poor attitude, and inappropriate practices toward lymphoedema management in the Lindi district. This will have negative consequences on the lymphoedema management in the Lindi district, hence, the need for further public health education on LF management.