Sociocultural aspects of schistosomiasis mansoni in an endemic area in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Bibliographic Data

ID5169679
AuthorsAndrea Gazzinelli (0000-0003-2159-7291, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), Maria Flávia Gazzinelli (0000-0003-0523-3973, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), Matilde Miranda Cadete (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), Samuel Pena Filho (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), Ilcéia Ribeiro Sá (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), Helmut Kloos (0000-0002-5867-971X, University of California Medical Center, USA)
Year1998
Volume14
Issue4
Pages841-849
Publication date1998-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCadernos de Saude Publica (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0102-311X • E-ISSN: 1678-4464
PublisherFapUNIFESP (SciELO) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1590/s0102-311x1998000400026
PMID9878917
OpenAlexW2119993950
SCIELO_PIDS0102-311X1998000400026
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited9

A study to determine the sociocultural factors influencing knowledge, attitudes, and practices of individuals from a small community toward Schistosoma mansoni infection was carried out in an endemic area in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The study used qualitative approaches to collect data from school-aged children and teachers. Specific findings were that the individuals interviewed were aware of the disease, but also held inaccurate popular beliefs about transmission. Misconceptions coexisted with accurate knowledge both in children and teachers. The disease was not seen as a major health problem and did not affect their activities since it did not cause severe symptoms in most of the individuals. Although the majority of the participants related transmission to water and lack of sanitation, they did not take any preventive measures since their subsistence is highly dependent on irrigation, farming, fishing, and other essential work that is directly related to water activities. The authors discuss the development of a health education program based on the knowledge and perception of individuals about the disease and its determinants as being important for the context and behavioral change

Affect (linguistics) · Agriculture · Biology · Context (archaeology) · Disease · Environmental health · Geography · Health education · Public health · Sanitation · Sociocultural evolution · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Subsistence agriculture · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Ecology · Global Maternal and Child Health · Medicine · Nursing · Parasites and Host Interactions · Psychology · Gerontology

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