Knowledge of Contamination and Contagion in 4- to 9-Year-Old Children

Research on children’s knowledge of contamination and contagion has been conducted mainly in industrialized settings, and little is known about it in Low- and Middle-Income Countries where contamination and infectious illness are significant health hazards. In this study, 75 children (4–9 years of age) living in Tanzania were interviewed about scenarios showing contaminated and contagious situations. They were also asked how they learned about contamination. All children had a good understanding of water and food contamination and contagion. Younger children were less knowledgeable than older children for scenarios that did not depict contamination, suggesting uncertainty in these situations. Children reported learning about contamination from relatives and teachers. Implications for health interventions, including health-related aspects of climate change, are discussed.