KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND CHOLERA PREVENTION AMONG CARE-GIVERS OF UNDER FIVE CHILDREN IN OBUBRA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA.

Cholera remains a critical global public health issue, particularly in low-resource settings with limited access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. Care-givers of under-five children play a crucial role in preventing cholera transmission due to their caregiving responsibilities. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and cholera preventive practices (KAP) among 412 care-givers of under-five children in Obubra Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria, using a cross-sectional analytical design. Data were collected via a semi-structured questionnaire administered through the Open Data Kit (ODK) platform and analysed using SPSS version 27. Findings revealed the mean age of respondents was 28.44 ± 6.492 years, with the majority, 272(66.0%), aged between 18 and 30 years. Most respondents, 281(68.2%), were married or cohabiting, and a significant proportion, 37 (90.0%), identified as Christians. Secondary education was the highest level of education attained by 164(39.8%) of the respondents. In terms of occupation, the largest group, 127(30.8%), were self-employed. Furthermore, the majority, 305(74.0%), had between one and two children under the age of five. Only 124(30.1%) of respondents demonstrated good knowledge of cholera, a majority exhibited positive attitudes 336(81.6%) and good preventive practices 260(63.1%). Significant associations were observed between cholera knowledge and socio-demographic factors such as marital status (p < 0.001), religion (p < 0.001), educational level (p < 0.001), occupation (p < 0.001), and number of under-five children (p < 0.001). Moreover, poor knowledge was significantly associated with negative attitudes towards cholera prevention (p < 0.001). The study concludes that despite encouraging attitudes and practices, there is a substantial knowledge gap that could hinder effective cholera prevention. Targeted public health education and community-based interventions are recommended to improve cholera awareness and strengthen prevention strategies among care-givers of under-five children in the region.