Epidemiological profile of intestinal parasites in schoolchildren from the rural área of a municipality in the interior of Pernambuco

Abstract

Neglected diseases, such as intestinal parasites, still represent a serious public health problem in the world, affecting mainly the child public. The development of educational projects aims to prevent infection by reducing the rate of the disease. The performance of playful activities with children has been shown to be efficient in the learning process. The general objective of this study was to promote health education actions and verify the incidence of intestinal parasites in schoolchildren in the rural area of the city of Vitória de Santo Antão - PE. This is an epidemiological, descriptive, intervention, transversal and ecological study. The results of the study revealed a moderate epidemiological profile of infection in the school community. Analyzing the habits and hygiene habits of the positive participants, we found that 50% kept the habit of playing barefoot on the street and 25% did not wash their hands after using the bathroom. Such behavior favors infection by intestinal parasites. Thus, it is necessary to apply health promotion strategies aimed at guiding the child population on parasitic diseases.