Prevalence of intestinal parasites in children and adolescents and associated risk factors: the role of nursing in health education

Objective: To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and identify the associated risk factors in a child and adolescent population attended at a Family Health Unit (USF) in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. Methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional epidemiological study with quantitative analysis was conducted. The sample consisted of 37 participants, recruited from a USF. Data collection was based on the application of a semi-structured questionnaire and retrospective analysis of medical records. For inferential statistical analysis, IBM SPSS software was used. Results: The prevalence of suspected or diagnosed parasitic infection was 22%. Analysis identified age ≤ 7 years (adjusted OR = 2.85; 95% CI: 1.12-7.24) and inconsistent handwashing before meals (adjusted OR = 3.42; 95% CI: 1.29-9.08) as significant and independent risk factors. An essential finding was the persistence of cases in a context of widely reported access to basic sanitation (97.3%) and treated water (89.2%), coexisting with a significant knowledge gap, in which 30% of the guardians were unaware of the concept of intestinal parasites. Conclusion: The study reveals a persistent gap between sanitary infrastructure and hygiene practices, driving parasitic infections. Although the small sample limits generalizability, findings underscore the need for targeted nursing-led health education interventions.