{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]],"date-time":"2026-06-10T00:09:38Z","timestamp":1781050178923,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,25]],"date-time":"2020-11-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1606262400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000865","name":"Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["OPP1129535"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["OPP1129535"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000865","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosntds.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Negl Trop Dis"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Current soil-transmitted helminth (STH) programs target morbidity control with school-based deworming. Increasing interest in steering neglected tropical disease (NTD) programmes from morbidity control towards disease elimination has prompted evaluation of strategies that may interrupt transmission. The feasibility of interrupting transmission of STH with community-wide deworming is being tested in the ongoing DeWorm3 cluster randomized trial. Gender-based perspectives about susceptibility to infection and need for treatment have been shown to influence both health-seeking behaviour and health outcomes. We carried out a qualitative study among men and women in the community to understand their knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about STH infections and community-wide mass drug administration (cMDA). Eight semi-structured focus group discussions were conducted among men and women residing in the DeWorm3 study site in India\u2014Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts of Tamil Nadu. Thematic coding was used to analyse the transcripts in ATLAS.ti 8.0. Both men and women in this study demonstrated a high level of STH knowledge but some men had misconceptions that intestinal worms were beneficial. Men and women shared several similar beliefs and attitudes regarding STH treatment. Both believed that adults were likely to have STH infections and both reported that stigma prevented them from seeking treatment. Influenced by gender norms, women were more likely to associate STH infections with inadequate sanitation and hygiene, while men were more likely to believe that those engaged in agricultural work were at risk. Both genders reported a positive attitude towards cMDA for STH. Barriers to cMDA implementation differed by gender; women expressed concern regarding side-effects and drug quality while men were concerned that treatment coverage may be affected due to the absence of people during the day when the drug is distributed. Both men and women perceived the treatment of adults for STH infections to be important, however, the perceived barriers to participating in cMDA differed by gender in this community. The study identified key messages to be incorporated in communication and outreach strategies for cMDA programmes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0008829","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,25]],"date-time":"2020-11-25T18:25:03Z","timestamp":1606328703000},"page":"e0008829","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Gender differences in the perceived need for community-wide deworming: Formative qualitative research from the DeWorm3 study, India"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0298-3624","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Kumudha","family":"Aruldas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4087-7080","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Arianna Rubin","family":"Means","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Angelin","family":"Titus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yesudoss","family":"Jacob","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rajeshkumar","family":"Rajendiran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jabaselvi","family":"Johnson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3117-767X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Mira","family":"Emmanuel-Fabula","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1904-6880","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Saravanakumar","family":"Puthupalayam Kaliappan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sanjay","family":"Kamlakar Juvekar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3656-564X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Gagandeep","family":"Kang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4836-720X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Judd","family":"L. Walson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3419-6577","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Sitara Swarna Rao","family":"Ajjampur","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,25]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"pntd.0008829.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1186\/1756-3305-7-37","article-title":"Global numbers of infection and disease burden of soil transmitted helminth infections in 2010","volume":"7","author":"RL Pullan","year":"2014","journal-title":"Parasites & vectors"},{"key":"pntd.0008829.ref002","volume-title":"Soil-transmitted helminthiases: eliminating soil-transmitted helminthiases as a public health problem in children: progress report 2001\u20132010 and strategic plan 2011\u20132020","author":"WHO","year":"2012"},{"key":"pntd.0008829.ref003","unstructured":"Government of India, National Health Portal. National Deworming Day. [cited 9 May 2019]. Available from: https:\/\/www.nhp.gov.in\/national-deworming-day_pg"},{"key":"pntd.0008829.ref004","unstructured":"Government of India, National Deworming Day. [cited 6 July 2019]. Available from: http:\/\/www.nddindia2016.com"},{"issue":"2","key":"pntd.0008829.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2027","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0002027","article-title":"How effective is school-based deworming for the community-wide control of soil-transmitted helminths?","volume":"7","author":"RM Anderson","year":"2013","journal-title":"PLoS neglected tropical diseases"},{"issue":"1","key":"pntd.0008829.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"551","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-015-1135-4","article-title":"What impact will the achievement of the current World Health Organisation targets for anthelmintic treatment coverage in children have on the intensity of soil transmitted helminth infections?","volume":"8","author":"JE Truscott","year":"2015","journal-title":"Parasites & vectors"},{"issue":"1","key":"pntd.0008829.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0006166","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0006166","article-title":"Assessing the feasibility of interrupting the transmission of soil-transmitted helminths through mass drug administration: The DeWorm3 cluster randomized trial protocol","volume":"12","author":"KH \u00c1sbj\u00f6rnsd\u00f3ttir","year":"2018","journal-title":"PLoS neglected tropical diseases"},{"issue":"1","key":"pntd.0008829.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0005988","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0005988","article-title":"Evaluating the sustainability, scalability, and replicability of an STH transmission interruption intervention: The DeWorm3 implementation science protocol","volume":"12","author":"AR Means","year":"2018","journal-title":"PLoS neglected tropical diseases"},{"issue":"5","key":"pntd.0008829.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"539","DOI":"10.1080\/17441690902942464","article-title":"Questioning gender norms with men to improve health outcomes: evidence of impact","volume":"5","author":"G Barker","year":"2010","journal-title":"Global public health"},{"key":"pntd.0008829.ref010","article-title":"Involving men in reproductive health: contributions to development","author":"ME Greene","year":"2006","journal-title":"Background paper prepared for the UN Millennium Project to contribute to the report Public Choices, Private Decisions: Sexual and Reproductive Health and the"},{"issue":"11","key":"pntd.0008829.ref011","first-page":"637","article-title":"Gender-based differences in water, sanitation and hygiene-related diarrheal disease and helminthic infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"110","author":"V Sevilimedu","year":"2016","journal-title":"Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene"},{"key":"pntd.0008829.ref012","article-title":"Gender equity in mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases: data from 16 countries","author":"DA Cohn","year":"2019","journal-title":"International health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pntd.0008829.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"179","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-018-2689-8","article-title":"The role of gender relations in uptake of mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis in Alor District, Indonesia","volume":"11","author":"A Krentel","year":"2018","journal-title":"Parasites & vectors"},{"issue":"9","key":"pntd.0008829.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3009","DOI":"10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_503_19","article-title":"Coverage of mass drug administration for elimination of lymphatic filariasis in urban Nagpur, Central India: A mixed method study","volume":"8","author":"S Banerjee","year":"2019","journal-title":"Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care"},{"issue":"1","key":"pntd.0008829.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1186\/2049-9957-3-31","article-title":"Mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis elimination in a coastal state of India: a study on barriers to coverage and compliance","volume":"3","author":"MA Hussain","year":"2014","journal-title":"Infectious diseases of poverty"},{"key":"pntd.0008829.ref016","article-title":"Unequal unfair ineffective and inefficient. 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