Scabies education in secondary schools: A multicenter study

• Published in: Annals of African medicine Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 263 - 268
• Main Authors: Ibekwe, Perpetua, Henshaw, Eshan, Otike-Odibi, Bolaji, Okoh, Nnenna, Ukonu, Bob, Nnaji, Thomas, Archibong, Joseph, Altraide, D, Onyekonwu, Chinwe, Okudo, Grace
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.10.2020; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Childrens health; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease management; Disease prevention; Female; Health Education - methods; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health risks; High schools; Humans; Male; Nigeria - epidemiology; Original; Parasitic diseases; Permethrin; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking; Scabies; Scabies - diagnosis; Scabies - epidemiology; Scabies - etiology; Scabies - prevention & control; Schools; Secondary school students; Skin diseases; Socioeconomic Factors; Students - statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Nigeria; prevalence; risk behaviors; secondary school studentsMots clés: Gale; éducation; comportements à risque; élèves du secondaire; prévalence; Education; scabies; secondary school students Mots clés: Gale; éducation; comportements à risque; élèves du secondaire; prévalence
• ISSN: 1596-3519; 0975-5764
• DOI: 10.4103/aam.aam_67_19

Background: The aim of this study was to educate secondary school students on etiology, risk factors, clinical features, treatment, and prevention of scabies; to evaluate their knowledge base on scabies before and after an educational intervention; and to reassess this knowledge base and behavioral change, 6 months after, on a second visit. Methods: Questionnaires with standard questions on scabies, graded to a maximum score of 10, were administered to students in junior secondary Classes 1 and 2 across 4 states in Nigeria. Information obtained included subjects' demographics, scabies symptomatology, risks, and preventive behaviors. Students with active scabies were diagnosed and treated. Data were analyzed with STATA. Results: The mean test scores for the pretest and posttest at first visit were 2.82 ± 1.38 and 6.30 ± 1.09, respectively. This difference was statistically significant at t = 3.95, P = 0.004. Six months later, when the same schools were re-visited, the mean test scores for the pretest and posttest were 4.63 ± 0.54 and 5.87 ± 0.25, respectively. This difference was also significant at t = 4.13, P = 0.003. The prevalence of scabies was 3.5% at first visit and 4.34% at second visit; t = 0.24, P = 0.41. Conclusions: Secondary school students lack basic education on scabies and exhibit high-risk behaviors for scabies transmission. Knowledge on scabies needs constant reinforcement.