Conhecimento das merendeiras sobre enteroparasitoses em escolas públicas de João Pessoa-PB

Abstract

School cooks represent the food handlers responsible for preparing school lunches. These professionals can behave as potential transmitters of diseases related to eating contaminated food by schoolchildren, including those caused by enteroparasites. Enteroparasitosis is considered a public health problem in developing countries, being related to inadequate hygiene habits. The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of school cooks from three public schools, in Roger’s neighborhood of the city of João Pessoa-PB, regarding food care, transmission of enteroparasitosis and the health of students. Eight professionals were interviewed between August and September 2020, with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire. The study, predominantly qualitative, used content analysis that, as proposed by Bardin, allows the grouping of responses into categories created from what was reported in the interviews. It was found that most of the research participants had very limited knowledge in relation to the theme, probably due to low education and lack of adequate training or qualification. Few knew what intestinal parasitosis whas; when asked about the forms of contagions, symptomatology and prophylaxis of the intestinal parasitosis, the responses were quite repetitive and limited. However, despite the difficulties, school cooks demonstrated to be aware of the important role they play in the school environment, as agents responsible for promoting the health of schoolchildren, and must seek to provide safe food, free from any parasites that may contaminate them. With this, it is expected that the health education of these professionals can improve the quality of life in schools.