Dissemination of information on visceral leishmaniasis from schoolchildren to their families: a sustainable model for controlling the disease

• Autor(a) principal: Magalhães, Danielle Ferreira de
• Data de Publicação: 2009
• Outros Autores: Silva, José Ailton da, Haddad, João Paulo Amaral, Moreira, Elvio Carlos, Fonseca, Maria Isabel Magalhães, Ornelas, Marina Lúcia Lima de, Borges, Barbara Kellen Antunes, Luz, Zélia Maria Profeta da
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Cadernos de Saúde Pública
• Texto Completo: https://cadernos.ensp.fiocruz.br/ojs/index.php/csp/article/view/4194
• topic: Visceral Leishmaniasis; Students; Information Dissemination

A model for the dissemination of information on visceral leishmaniasis from schoolchildren to their families was evaluated in two schools in Caeté, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Age ranged from 9 to 17 years in the two schools, one receiving the intervention (with 92 students) and the other serving as the control (96 students). All the students attended a class and received a pamphlet on visceral leishmaniasis. The intervention consisted of a homework assignment in which the student discussed the class content and pamphlet with a family member. Knowledge by family members (n = 100) on visceral leishmaniasis was evaluated with a pre and post-intervention questionnaire applied by a health agent, who also completed a form on hygiene around the household as observed during the home visit. A significant improvement was observed in knowledge and hygiene (e.g., sweeping of leaves, fruit, and branches from the yards) among the families that were exposed to the intervention (p < 0.05). The spread of information on visceral leishmaniasis by schoolchildren can contribute to measures for preventing the disease.