[Educational program in schistosomiasis: a model for a methodological approach].

OBJECTIVE Lack of knowledge is one of the factors responsible for the persistence of infectious diseases in Brazil. This study had the objective of developing, implementing and evaluating a low-cost educational program using schistosomiasis patients as a model. METHODS This was a descriptive study developed using a population of healthy people (group 1) and schistosomiasis patients (groups 2 and 3), with 20 individuals in each group. Teaching material (illustrated manual and album of leaflets) and a questionnaire consisting of 17 questions to evaluate the groups' knowledge were devised. The questionnaire was applied to groups 1 and 2 before and to group 3 after the educational program. The variables studied were the educational program, level of schooling, age, clinical form of schistosomiasis, symptoms, and the subject's performance when answering the questionnaire. For the statistical analysis, Fisher's exact test and variance analysis with one fixed factor were utilized. RESULTS The educational program was evaluated in the form of four topics: cycle, clinical presentation, treatment and prevention of the disease. The median number of correct responses to the questionnaire was higher for group 3 than for groups 1 and 2, for all the topics dealt with. This median was also higher for group 2 than for group 1, for all topics except for the item "prevention". CONCLUSIONS The educational process applied was efficient and improved the knowledge of the disease. It may provide an effective low-cost methodological model that can also be applied to combating other endemic diseases.