Neurolathyrism in Ethiopia: assessment and comparison of knowledge and attitude of health workers and rural inhabitants

A cross sectional community based study was done in the Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia in 1999-2000 to assess and compare knowledge and attitude towards neurolathyrism among health workers and the rural community. A sample of 217 health workers selected by probability proportional to size and randomly selected 589 heads of household from a rural district were interviewed using pre-tested questionnaires. Neurolathyrism was widely known among the health workers and the community. More than half of community respondents associated the disorder with walking or lying on the straw and the stalks of grass pea. In a multivariate analysis, poor neurolathyrism knowledge among the community was associated with illiteracy and with presence of a neurolathyrism patient at home. Among health workers, contact with vapour or steam of grass pea foods was the commonest cause cited. In a multivariate analysis nurses had the poorest knowledge among the health workers. Depending on the subject, health workers and community respondents had more or less knowledge than the other. The prevailing recurrent adverse climatic conditions might promote grass pea as a 'friendly' crop to the poor peasants in marginal areas who otherwise rely on it only during times of food shortages and could increase the incidence of neurolathyrism. The poor knowledge among health workers and the community and the general neglect of neurolathyrism requires urgent intervention. Appropriate strategies for the dissemination of information, education, and communication (IEC) are needed.