Perceptions Associated with Noncompliance to Community-Wide Mass Drug Administration for Soil-Transmitted Helminths

Mass drug administration (MDA) is a key strategy for the control of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). Within MDA programs, poor and non-random compliance threaten successful control of STHs. A case-control study was conducted comparing perceptions among non-compliant participants with compliant participants during a community-wide MDA (cMDA) with albendazole in southern India. Common reasons cited for non-compliance were that the individual was not infected with STH (97.4%), the perception that he/she was healthy (91%), fear of side-effects (12.8%), and dislike of consuming tablets (10.3%). Noncompliance was associated with poor awareness of intestinal worms (odds ratio [OR]: 9.63, 95% CI: 2.11–43.84), the perception that cMDA was only required for those with worms (OR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.06–4.36), and the perception that the drug is not safe during pregnancy (OR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.18–4.07) or when on concomitant medications (OR: 3.14, 95% CI: 1.38–7.15). Understanding of perceptions driving noncompliance can provide valuable insights to optimize participation during MDA for STHs.