Knowledge, Attitude and Practices towards the Prevention of Schistosomiasis Mansoni in an Endemic Area of Alagoas, Northeast Brazil

Abstract

We analyzed the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of schistosomiasis mansoni prevention in an endemic area of Brazil. This cross-sectional study was conducted between March and May 2021, with 412 participants living in the municipality of Feira Grande, Alagoas, Brazil. Data collection occurred through visits to the Health Center Urbano II and Massapê, through an interview with a structured questionnaire to identify the levels of KAP regarding schistosomiasis prevention. Of all respondents, 70.87% lived in rural areas, 22.66% reported a history of past schistosomiasis and 52.71% never participated in schistosomiasis control program actions. Factors associated with better KAP scores were being part of an older age group, not using rainwater and having no history of past schistosomiasis. Specifically, among the domains, attitude was the highest score and knowledge was the lowest. Participation in a health intervention program, knowing someone who had schistosomiasis and having been informed through a public health program seemed to have an important impact on the population’s KAP. Our results contributed to broadening perceptions about schistosomiasis prevention, highlighting the positive impacts that health programs and interventions have on disease control.

Perilaku Masyarakat Dalam Pencegahan Penularan Schistosomiasis Di Desa Mekar Sari Kabupaten Poso

“…Begitu juga sikap dengan dengan perilaku pencegahan schistosomiasis memiliki korelasi yang positif dan signifikan. Semakin tinggi skor sikap maka semakin baik skor perilaku pencegahan schistosomiasisnya (Santos, et al, 2020).…”

Indicadores epidemiológicos e operacionais do programa de controle da esquistossomose: estudo ecológico em região endêmica no estado de Alagoas, Brasil, 2008 – 2016

“…Esta baixa adesão ao tratamento pode estar relacionada a falta de conhecimento da população sobre o local onde a medicação é disponibilizada gratuitamente através do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), provocando dificuldade de acesso a mesma. Corroborando a isso, um estudo realizado em Feira Grande, mostrou que a população apresenta baixo conhecimento a respeito da esquistossomose, tendo o acesso a informações por vezes restrito a fontes inconsistentes, o que pode reforçar a baixa adesão ao tratamento (Santos et al, 2023).…”