Schistosomiasis: Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Among School - Aged Children Dainalyn M. Diambrang
St. Peters College, Sabayle Street, Iligan City, Philippines
Abstract
Sapad is one the four municipalities in the province of Lanao del Norte which have Schistosomiasis infestation. The said disease can be acquired by having contact with infested water. This study aimed at gathering information about the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the school-aged children on the issues of Schistosomiasis. The method used was descriptive-correlational research design and employed lottery method in the selection of 100 respondents. Results revealed that the respondents appeared knowledgeable about Schistosomiasis; on the importance of using proper toilet when urinating or defecating; on the signs and symptoms of the disease; strongly agreed that taking Praziquantel is effective in treating Schistosomiasis; and always used footwear , drank safe water, and made sure their environment is clean; and never touched snails whenever they see them. It was concluded that there was no significant relationship between the academic performance of the respondents and their self-reported knowledge, attitude, and practices about Schistosomiasis as well as to their gender, source of income, residential location, and monthly family income. However, there was significant association between their academic performance, age and grade level. It is recommended that residents of Municipality of Sapad may work hand in hand in protecting the young ones from the disease and raise awareness of everyone about it.
Keywords: Social Science, Education, Schistosomiasis, Environmental Awareness, Health Education, Descriptive-Correlation Study, Sapad, Lanao del Norte, Philippines
