Author/s: Diambrang, Dainalyn M.
Year: 2018
Sapad is one the four municipalities in the province of Lanao del Norte which have Schistosomiasis infestation. The said infection can be acquired by having contact with infested water. This study aimed at gathering information about the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices among school – aged children of Sapad District on the issues of Schistosomiasis. The method used was descriptive research design and employed random sampling method in the selection of respondents of the study (N = 300) coming from three different schools. Data gathered revealed that the respondents appeared knowledgeable of the infection with an average mean of 2.80. They are very knowledgeable when it comes to the importance of using proper toilet when urinating or defecating and its acquisition when walking or playing on the ground barefoot. Gaining an average mean of 2.64, the respondents were identified to have positive attitude towards Schistosomiasis. They strongly agreed that taking Praziquantel is effective in treating the infection and observing precautionary measures is a must when going outside for health concerns. It was also found out that with an average mean of 2.36, the respondents seldom practice activities which are related in having infested with Schistosomiasis. They always drank safe water and never touched snails whenever they see them and took a bath using stagnant water. From these results of the study, there is call for an intervention to be conducted in a form of a campaign drive to raise awareness about Schistosomiasis among the children in school and encourage the community members to work hand in hand in protecting the young ones from the infection and strengthen the health programs implemented by different local bodies.