Abstract

VILLELA, Marcos Marreiro; PIMENTA, Denise Nacif; LAMOUNIER, Paulo Acácio  and  DIAS, João Carlos Pinto. Evaluation of knowledge and practices related to Chagas disease and its vectors among adults and children in an endemic region in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Cad. Saúde Pública [online]. 2009, vol.25, n.8, pp. 1701-1710. ISSN 0102-311X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2009000800006.

Despite the success of the Chagas Disease Control Program (PCCD) in Brazil, some endemic areas have experienced difficulty in maintaining the program's activities, especially after the health system's decentralization, since the sustainability of control measures for Chagas disease and vectors is known to depend on information and community participation. This study aimed to analyze knowledge and practices related to vectors and Chagas disease in Bambuí, Minas Gerais State, Brasil. The population's knowledge was tested with a questionnaire, accompanied by six illustrations of triatomine bugs for identification. Both adults and primary and secondary schoolchildren in rural areas of the county participated in the research. The Bambuí population showed good overall knowledge on triatomines and Chagas disease in both groups (adults and children), although the concepts were limited to preventing the insect vector from invading houses. The results emphasize the importance of educational campaigns in the context of the program as a fundamental component of community participation in Chagas disease vector control.

Keywords : Chagas Disease; Disease Vectors; Communicable Disease Control; Health, Knowledge, Atitudes, Practice.