Limited Knowledge of Toxoplasmosis-Specific Preventive Behaviors in Pregnant Women: A Survey Study in Northern Italy

Federica Fernicola (), Elisabetta Colciago, Giulia Capitoli, Elisa Merelli, Francesca Arienti, Valeria Poletti De Chaurand, Gaia Scandella, Anna Carli and Sara Ornaghi
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Federica Fernicola: Department of Obstetrics, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
Elisabetta Colciago: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
Giulia Capitoli: Bicocca Bioinformatics Biostatistics and Bioimaging B4 Center, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20854 Vedano al Lambro, Italy
Elisa Merelli: Bicocca Bioinformatics Biostatistics and Bioimaging B4 Center, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20854 Vedano al Lambro, Italy
Francesca Arienti: Department of Obstetrics, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
Valeria Poletti De Chaurand: Department of Obstetrics, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
Gaia Scandella: Department of Obstetrics, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
Anna Carli: Department of Obstetrics, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
Sara Ornaghi: Department of Obstetrics, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 4, 1-13

Abstract: Toxoplasmosis (TG) is a zoonotic disease that, if contracted during pregnancy, can lead to fetal infection with severe complications. Currently, the only way to prevent maternal infection during pregnancy is to adopt hygiene practices. Our study aimed to evaluate pregnant women’s awareness of TG infection, their knowledge of TG-specific preventive hygiene measures, and factors linked to inadequate knowledge as potential targets for intervention. A prospective survey study was conducted at a university hospital between May and November 2023. A self-administered questionnaire was given to pregnant women. Out of 402 participants, 95.3% were aware that TG could be a potential issue in pregnancy. However, only 22.5% of them were able to identify all four correct hygiene behaviors to prevent TG infection acquisition during gestation. Women with a higher level of education, of European origin, and who had heard of other potentially serious conditions in pregnancy were more likely to have an appropriate level of knowledge about TG. Healthcare professionals and mass media, when employed as sources of information before conception, played a positive role in enhancing pregnant women’s awareness of TG. In conclusion, while pregnant women showed high levels of awareness of TG infection, their knowledge of preventive measures was limited, with only less than one-fourth with appropriate knowledge. This highlights the need for innovative strategies, possibly face-to-face interactions, digital tools, and public health campaigns, to improve the ability of healthcare professionals to deliver accurate and accessible information to reduce the risk of infection acquisition during gestation.

Keywords: toxoplasmosis; infection; congenital; knowledge; pregnancy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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