Epidemiological and space aspects of the schools of the National Leprosy Campaign: the case of Sobral – Ceará, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiological and spatial aspects of leprosy of the schoolchildren participating in the National Leprosy Campaign in the municipality of Sobral, Ceará, in the year 2016. This is a cross-sectional epidemiological study with spatial analysis of secondary data obtained in the records instruments used in the Campaign (self-image files), with public school schoolchildren from five to fourteen years old. From this population a sample was taken to be studied from the calculation of a standard error limit of 5%, confidence level of 99.99% and an expected frequency of 50%, resulting in 1,216 students, corresponding to 19.7% of a total of 6,169 schoolchildren who returned the completed self-indexed records. A descriptive analysis was performed for all the variables of interest of the study object and for the spatial analysis the QGIS program 2.18 was used. Of the 1,216 schoolchildren participating in the study, 31.7% had body spots and 18.1% (220/1126) of the total number of schoolchildren had leprosy cases in the study. Of the 1,216 students in the study, 31.7% (386/1). Among the schoolchildren with spots on the body, 6.2% (75/1126) reported having cases of leprosy in the family, 59.3% (195/329) are birthmarks, 20.7% Among children with spots suspected of leprosy (39.2%, 129/329), they were found to be dormant (9.3%) (31/329) and 10.6% (35/329) The strategies for the screening of new suspected leprosy cases developed through campaigns helped to mobilize around the epidemiological situation of leprosy, facilitating the dissemination of information to leprosy patients. the population on the recognition of signs and symptoms, treatment and cure of leprosy.