Dengue-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices in primary schools in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico

Objective. To identify dengue-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices among primary school students in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico, before and after an educational intervention. Methods. The study was carried out at 19 randomly selected public primary schools. Surveys of knowledge, attitudes, and practices were conducted before and after educational sessions with fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students. The educational strategy "Escuelas sin mosquitos" ("Schools without Mosquitoes") emphasized the importance of students' participation in taking care of their schools and homes in order to prevent dengue through vector control. Results. Before and after the educational sessions, a total of 3 124 surveys were conducted on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 1 562 fifth- and sixth-grade students (772 and 790 students, respectively) between 10 and 12 years of age. The students' level of knowledge was significantly higher after the implementation of the educational strategy. In comparison with the fifth-graders, the sixth-grade students both already had and also acquired significantly more knowledge of several aspects of the disease and the vector. In all the schools, there were containers with water identified as potential breeding sites, and in 68% of the schools, these containers tested positive for Aedes aegypti larvae. Conclusions. It was demonstrated that by implementing an educational strategy, children's knowledge, attitudes, and practices were improved in terms of taking care of their schools and promoting a change of attitude to this disease at home.