Toxoplasmosis Knowledge and Preventive Behaviours Among Pregnant Women in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the parasite and is considered asymptomatic in most cases. In pregnant women, however, the disease can be transmitted to the foetus, causing severe congenital consequences. Congenital toxoplasmosis can be avoided by practising simple preventive lifestyle measures during pregnancy. This cross-sectional study assessed the toxoplasmosis knowledge and preventive behaviours among 135 pregnant Saudi women in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews using a validated questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of toxoplasmosis, and preventive behaviours towards toxoplasmosis between January and April 2023 using convenience snowball sampling. SPSS Statistics was used for data analysis and the qualitative parameters were described as frequencies and percentages. Approximately 45.2% of the participants displayed a poor knowledge of toxoplasmosis. Moreover, participants aged 31-40 years exhibited significantly higher knowledge compared to those aged less than 30 years. Most participants practised effective preventive behaviours, as demonstrated by 90.4% and 86.7% of them reporting that they habitually washed their hands after handling raw meat and did not eat rare meat, respectively. Overall, the poor knowledge of toxoplasmosis among pregnant women in Jeddah highlights the importance of implementing targeted antenatal health education campaigns and interventions to protect pregnant women and minimise the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis.