Factors associated with the occurrence of leishmaniasis in children of a specialized hospital Feira de Santana-BA

Abstract

Backgound and Objectives: To describe the demographic profile of children with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) of a state hospital in Feira de Santana, Bahia in the period 2008-2011. Methods: This was a retrospective study in a specialized hospital in Feira de Santana, BA. The study subjects were children younger than 12 years diagnosed with LV totaling 12 individuals of both sexes. Data were collected from medical records through proper form containing socioeconomic, family and demographic information. A descriptive analysis was performed by calculating the absolute and relative frequencies. Results: About 58.3% of children were from families with lower socioeconomic status and less than a minimum wage; 58% were from rural areas and 50% lived in places with no infrastructure; 33% had piped water and 17% sewage. The largest number of cases was in children aged 0-5 years being the most prevalent female (83%). The research showed that 83% of families had no knowledge of the disease. Conclusion: The implementation of actions for interventions and health education, along with health team approach to conditioning and determining the factors that lead the individual to acquire the disease is necessary. KEYWORDS: Visceral leishmaniasis. Qualitative analysis. Kalazar.