Survey assessment of parental perceptions regarding head lice

Silva, Lucía; Alencar, Rúbia Aguiar; Madeira, Newton Goulart

doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2008.03570.x

Cited by 24 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Literature on anxiety and depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance associated with infestation with biting arthropods is scant, but some anecdotal evidence exists that infestation with pigeon fleas 12 and head lice can have a negative effect on sleep. 13 The dermatologic literature details other pruritic skin conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis and their consequences on sleep 14 and mental health. 15 This study has several limitations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health effects from urban bed bug infestation (Cimex lectulariusL.): a cross-sectional study

Susser

Perron

Fournier³

et al. 2012

BMJ Open

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ObjectiveTo assess whether bed bug infestation was linked to sleep disturbances and symptoms of anxiety and depression.DesignExploratory cross-sectional study.SettingConvenience sample of tenants recruited in apartment complexes from Montreal, Canada.Participants39 bed bug-exposed tenants were compared with 52 unexposed tenants.Main outcome measuresThe effect of bed bug-exposed tenants on sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression symptoms measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, 5th subscale, Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale and Patient Health Questionnaire, 9-item, respectively.ResultsIn adjusted models, bed bug infestation was strongly associated with measured anxiety symptoms (OR (95% CI)=4.8 (1.5 to 14.7)) and sleep disturbance (OR (95% CI)=5.0 (1.3–18.8)). There was a trend to report more symptoms of depression in the bed bug-infested group, although this finding was not statistically significant ((OR (95% CI)=2.5(0.8 to 7.3)).ConclusionsThese results suggest that individuals exposed to bed bug infestations are at risk of experiencing sleep disturbance and of developing symptoms of anxiety and possibly depression. Greater clinical awareness of this problem is needed in order for patients to receive appropriate mental healthcare. These findings highlight the need for undertaking of deeper inquiry, as well as greater collaboration between medical professionals, public health and community stakeholders.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health effects from urban bed bug infestation (Cimex lectulariusL.): a cross-sectional study

Susser

Perron

Fournier³

et al. 2012

BMJ Open

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“…Headlice treatment is a heavily commercialised domain, with sales of over-the-counter remedies having been estimated in the UK at over £25 million for 2009/10 (Chemist+Druggist 2011). In survey-based studies parental knowledge has been deemed often inadequate for informed decisions and effective treatment (Silva et al 2008;Frankowski et al 2010), and the knowledge level among relevant professionals has also been found to be variable (Olowokure et al 2003). Many parents find the available remedies difficult to apply effectively (Parison et al 2008).…”

Section: Headlice Eradication and Parentingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both children and parents can experience stigma, anxiety and shame when infestation occurs (Silva et al 2008), particularly where the infestation is recurrent or prolonged (Gordon 2007). A responsible parent, at least in British settings, is expected to take action in the face of a child carrying headlice: Budd (2001) includes "Fails to get child medical treatment for head lice" as one of a list of "Functional parenting deficits" appropriate for use by professionals assessing parenting competence in child protection cases.…”

Section: Headlice Eradication and Parentingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Headlice eradication as everyday engagement with science: An analysis of online parenting discussions

Hine

2012

Public Underst Sci

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This paper focuses on the way in which people deploy scientific knowledge alongside other resources in everyday interactions. In the UK headlice are common amongst schoolchildren, and treatment is viewed as a parental responsibility. Choice between treatment options lies with individual parents, with official guidance giving no clear steer. In the face of this combination of responsibility and uncertainty, users of an online parenting forum justify their actions using a variety of resources, including claims to scientific knowledge of both headlice and the action of various treatments, but also drawing on the authority of having direct experience, trust in brand-named products and generalised suspicion of “chemical” treatments. These discussions occasion expression of knowledge as part of portraying oneself as a responsible parent, and thus while they do not necessarily represent public knowledge about science more generally, they do offer a useful site to explore what people do with science.

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“…Some studies on pediculosis, mainly from middle-and high-income countries have shown that in general the knowledge of patients and also of health professionals regarding transmission and control of head lice infestation is limited [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. In high-income settings, stigma and disgust are very common, whereas in low-and middle-income settings, head lice infestations are rather seen as a nuisance, or form part of normal life [12,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding head lice infestations in rural Nigeria

Heukelbach

Ugbomoiko

2011

J Infect Dev Ctries

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Introduction: Head lice infestations are common in sub-Saharan Africa, but knowledge, attitudes and practices have never been studied in this region.Methodology: This population-based study was conducted in a small rural community (population = 590) in Kwara State, Central Nigeria. Inhabitants of the community were interviewed regarding head lice infestations, using a pre-tested structured questionnaire, and examined regarding the presence of active pediculosis. Results: Of the 496 participants included, 367 (74.0%) had experienced head lice infestations, but only 26 (11.1%) of the individuals older than 15 years knew the correct mode of transmission. Of 142 individuals with active pediculosis, only 1 (0.7%) felt ashamed. Treatment was most commonly done by grooming (46.3%), followed by combing (27.2%). Only 4.6% used pediculicides, and 21.8% did not apply any treatment. Opinions about difficulties in controlling head lice were asked in three groups: biological, technical and social. In the first group, the most common difficulty noted was detecting head lice (52.1%), followed by possible resistance that would lengthen the time of infestation (38.9%). Technical constraints included concerns on the safety and effectiveness of products (48.7%) and difficulties in obtaining treatment (46.2%). Social contraints included difficulty in treating children (24.4%), lack of knowledge (23.5%), and the social behavior of children (22.2%). Conclusions: Head lice were not perceived as an important disease in a rural Nigerian community, and feelings about the infestation were mostly indifferent. Despite its common occurrence, knowledge on head lice was limited.

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Survey assessment of parental perceptions regarding head lice

Abstract: The results showed that certain beliefs generated worry and confusion in parents, who blamed head lice as the cause of various health problems which were not due to this insect.

Cited by 24 publications

References 40 publications

Mental health effects from urban bed bug infestation (Cimex lectulariusL.): a cross-sectional study

Mental health effects from urban bed bug infestation (Cimex lectulariusL.): a cross-sectional study

Headlice eradication as everyday engagement with science: An analysis of online parenting discussions

Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding head lice infestations in rural Nigeria

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