Self care practices in pregnant women at risk of contracting Chagas disease in Moniquirá and Miraflores, Colombia

Abstract

A low level of knowledge, poverty and living with pets are considered as conditioning factors for the transmission of Chagas disease. Objective: to describe self-care practices, knowledge and risk factors in a sample of seronegative pregnant women at risk of acquiring Chagas disease in two municipalities with high prevalence: Moniquirá and Miraflores in Boyacá, Colombia. Methodology: cross-sectional and analytical study based on a sample fulfilled by 154 pregnant women under criteria of inclusion. Data were collected through a structured survey accomplished by means of sequential random sampling. Stratified frequencies and averages were calculated according to their respective measures of dispersion. Results: there are predominance of risk factors associated with staying in the town for more than six months (97%), overcrowding (3,2%), living together with domestic animals (73%) and also with wild ones (90%), presence of potentially reservoir places for insects (61%), and proximity of vegetation around dwellings (78%). Statistically significant differences between the two municipalities were also found. Conclusions: the population under study has limited knowledge about the disease and its vector and according to significant frequencies, they also neglected basic self-care practices. Nevertheless, they show interest in cooperating with this purpose and acquiring general and specific knowledge and practices about self-care in order to improve protection through preventive measures.

Keywords

• enfermedad de Chagas
• autocuidado
• conocimientos
• actitudes
• prácticas en salud
• factores de riesgo
• Chagas disease
• self care
• health knowledge
• attitudes
• health practice
• risk factors