Toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in primary care
a cross-sectional study on seroprevalence and associated factors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/ce.v31i0.102030ptKeywords:
Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical, Risk Factors, Seroepidemiologic Studies, Prenatal Care, Prenatal EducationAbstract
Objective: To estimate the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women attending primary care and to investigate the sociodemographic, obstetric, and behavioral variables associated with seropositivity.
Method: Cross-sectional study conducted with 145 healthy pregnant women at usual risk, residing in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, using a structured questionnaire and data from serological test records. The analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics, with a significance level of 5% and multivariate analysis.
Results: The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis was 35.2%. Seropositive pregnant women had a higher mean age (p < 0.001) and a greater number of previous pregnancies (p = 0.005). There was an association with the presence of rodents in the home (p < 0.001) and lack of knowledge about the disease (p = 0.008). In the multivariate analysis, maternal age was identified as an associated factor (p = 0.012).
Conclusion: Most pregnant women were susceptible to toxoplasmosis, reinforcing the importance of screening and educational actions during prenatal care.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Nayara Gonçalves Barbosa, Sofia Maria Lopes Braga Ayres Gargiullo, Letícia da Cruz Silva, Marcos Morais Santos Silva, Silvia Regina Marin da Motta, Lúcia Yasuko Izumi Nichiata, Flávia Azevedo Gomes-Sponholz
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