This study focused on investigating Schistosoma japonicum infection and the school performance of school age children infested with the disease in selected endemic schools in Northern Samar. The study aimed to document the characteristics of the pupils infected with Schistosoma japonicum, describe the environment conditions pupils infected with Schistosoma japonicum, determine the participation of the pupils infected with Schistosoma japonicum in school-related activities, and design school- based Schistosomiasis Prevention and Control Program. The subjects under study were five school-age children who were highly infected with schistosomiasis during the last focal survey for schistosomiasis. This study made use of a case-control evaluative design with emphasis on retrospective method aided with quantitative data collection method. With the use of interview technique with the subjects, their parents, and teachers, coupled with a focused group discussion with the key informants in the community, the following salient findings emerged: The ways and means of living of the subjects were culturally traditional. There had been unavailable potable water supply and the water supply at home is very limited. The subjects were insensitive to the environment and it was clearly observed that the subjects had no knowledge about the disease. It was clearly noted that the health facilities at home are unavailable which influenced he subjects to defecate anywhere and also influenced by friends/playmates to play in the streams because of the unavailable recreational facilities. The nature of work of the subjects was observed to have significant effect in the prevalence of the infection. The subjects were totally unaware of schistosomiasis, while their parents having no knowledge on schistosomiasis, its causes, and prevention and curative measures. Likewise, their teachers had inadequate knowledge of it. Subjects were greatly predisposed of being contaminated with the infection in the highly hyper endemic environment they are exposed to. All the subjects belonged to the marginal socio- economic level of the society. Their parents were poorly educated and whose income was below the poverty threshold, and some of the subjects were made to help their parents with the household chores and to assist in the farm to augment the income of the family. The subjects reside in places near the streams and rivers which are infested with schistosomiasis, not to mention the fact that their parents are farming in schistosomiasis infected rice lands where the subjects would occasionally go to assist in farm work. The most common complaints of the subjects who were severely infected with schistosomiasis included headaches, abdominal pains, and bloody mucoid stools. The school performances of the subjects were greatly affected as a result of their ailments. They are oftentimes absent from their classes or had to go home before the classes end when the symptoms of the disease would attack them. As a result, their grades suffered.
School-age children, Schistosoma japonicum, schistosomiasis
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