A pilot evaluation of impact of school children's anti-dengue/Aedes aegypti environmental Sanitation Competitions on mosquito production in home communities - Poster abstract

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine if children's knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) with respect to dengue prevention and control in the school environment had any impact on the prevention of mosquito production practices at home. DESIGN AND METHODS: A case-control study was designed to compare the mosquito production behaviour of two school populations, the Mt Lambert Roman Catholic (RC) and the Barataria Anglican (AC) schools. The former successful in the environmental sanitation (ES) competitions while the latter, the control school, was never a part of the competitions. Thirty students, aged 7-13 years, were randomly selected from each school and interviewed to assess their KAP in relation to dengue fever (DF). A visit was made to 50 percent of the children's homes where the parents were also interviewed. In addition, a survey was conducted to identify potential and actual Ae aegypti habitats and enhanced oviposition traps placed at each home. RESULTS: Awareness of DF and its vector was high among both sets of children. All students at Mt. Lambert RC school reported practising source reduction in their homes. A positive change in behaviour was noticed by 87 percent of them in their family members. Knowledge among parents was also very high. No parent from Mt Lambert admitted to receiving DF control information from their children, whereas 33 percent from Barataria said otherwise. Inspection of premises yielded 612 containers in Mt. Lambert and 275 in Barataria. Ovitraps were positive in 33 percent of Mt Lambert and 40 percent of Barataria homes. CONCLUSION: Mt Lambert students although sensitized by the ES competitions did not have a distinct advantage over the non-sensitized Barataria students. High knowledge levels in parents could not be attributed to their children. Knowledge had little or no impact on practices as indicated by the potentially large number of Ae aegypti breeding habitats.(AU)