Knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning dengue fever in schools. Lambayeque, Peru

Abstract

Introduction: dengue fever is a viral disease widely distributed in tropical areas, influenced by climatic factors and the presence of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The economic burden on health services is a key factor in endemic locations. Objective: to describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of schoolchildren concerning dengue fever in Lambayeque, Peru. Methods: an observational, descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2019 in secondary schools in the districts of Lambayeque, Peru. Fifty-two students were chosen through simple random sample. Each student was given a structured questionnaire previously validated. Results: thirty-eight valid surveys were selected, where 53,85 % of which were from rural schools; 94 % expressed knowledge of dengue, 47 % reported receiving the information by television; 28 % recognized fever, vomiting and diarrhea as the main symptoms. The 89 % reported water tanks as the main breeding ground, 86 % recognized the disease as a serious problem and 87 % said it could be prevented or controlled. While the 89 % agreed that it is people's responsibility to prevent dengue fever and 95 % agreed on the need to eliminate mosquito breeding sites. Conclusions: secondary school students in Lambayeque have a low level of knowledge regarding the causal agent, transmission route and symptoms of dengue fever. Knowledge about attitudes and practices regarding this disease was high.

Keywords

• dengue
• conocimientos, actitudes y práctica en salud
• difusión de la información.