Occurrence and Awareness of Head Lice Among Elderly Residents in Long-Term Care Facilities in Uberlandia, Mg, Brazil

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the occurrence of head lice in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in Uberlandia, MG, Brazil, analyze associations with sex, ethnicity, age and hair characteristics, and verify awareness among elderly adults. Head inspections were performed and infestation was characterized on individual forms. A questionnaire on the biology, epidemiology and control of head lice was applied. Overall occurrence was 1.4%, being highest in elderly women with medium-length curly hair. Questionnaire responses indicated that the majority had no general knowledge on head lice. More than 40% reported infestation at some point in their lives and most knew how to control it. Overall occurrence was considered low and is related to measures adopted by the LTCFs, which controlled infestation by minimizing the influence of factors normally associated with its occurrence. The study was pioneer in analyzing associations between head lice and the degree of autonomy of elderly adults.KEY WORDS: Head lice; infestation; elderly adults; Uberlandia, MG.

Epidemiological aspects of pediculosis by Pediculus humanus capitis (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) in Minas Gerais: a systematic review

“…The selected studies pointed out that the infestation showed variations in the prevalence rates of parasitosis among men and women. However, in seven studies, females obtained the highest proportions of infected people, in studies conducted in Uberlândia 40,[43][44][45][46] , Belo Horizonte 39 and Divinópolis 42 . Only in one of the studies that evaluated the presence of the parasite in hair samples, positivity was higher for males 38 .…”

“…Studies conducted in the municipality of Manaus (state of Amazonas) showed greater infestation of the parasite in female hair, comprising 27.5% 47 and 3.0% 24 . The higher prevalence of infestations in females may be related to the predominance of medium to long hair among women, a cultural habit verified since childhood in the country 46 . Moreover, medium and long hair present a larger contact surface, facilitating transmission, especially among children while playing 44 .…”

“…The studies addressed the prevalence of P. humanus capitis infestation in groups, age groups, or only by age. There was a prevalence of parasitosis in children aged 1 to 12 years old 38,40,[42][43][44][45] , although other studies also found the presence of head lice in young people, adults and the elderly population 41,46 . The most prevalent age groups mentioned in this review are justified by the fact that the studies developed in the state focus mainly on places with people of younger age groups.…”

“…The studies analyzed in this systematic review also referred to different classifications as to the skin color and or race of those affected. For this reason, we prefer to refer to this variable exactly as described by the authors (white, non-black, brown, and black) 38,39,43,45,46 . Given this condition, it was found that regardless of skin color or race, there was a variable degree of infestation among the participants.…”

“…After screening the title and abstract, 12 studies were selected for reading the full text, thus excluding 1,155 titles (13 by duplication and 1,142 because they did not fit the study question). Of these, the studies that met the eligibility criteria resulted in nine [38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46] , included in this systematic review. The details of the selection process are illustrated in Figure 1.…”