Educational intervention for the reduction of intestinal parasitism in children under 5 years of age. Belize City, 2021

Abstract

Introduction: Intestinal parasitism represents a serious health problem worldwide, affecting both developed and underdeveloped countries, with more than one billion people infected by various types of parasites. Methods: The study focused on improving knowledge of parasitic diseases in mothers of children under five years of age through an educational program in a public clinic in Belize. A baseline survey was conducted, education was implemented, knowledge was reassessed, and participants' confidentiality and informed consent were guaranteed. Result and discussion: The educational intervention significantly improved their knowledge of intestinal parasitosis, increasing from 77.5% to 95% in key areas. This highlights the effectiveness of educational interventions in health promotion. Conclusions: Most of the mothers in the sample were between 20 and 29 years old with high school education, and initially had limited knowledge about intestinal parasites, but after the educational intervention, their understanding in all topics assessed improved significantly, demonstrating the effectiveness of the program.