Educative Intervention in Nursing for Leprosy Prevention and Control

Abstract

Introduction: Leprosy is a chronic communicable disease, as old as human beings themselves. In Cuba, a national program has been developed aimed at preventing the disease, diagnosing it in a timely manner, and treating it appropriately. It is feasible to consider that nursing professionals have the appropriate potential allowing them, after a training process, to promote changes in the methods and lifestyles related to this disease.

Objectives: To carry out an educational intervention with the nursing staff of Primero de Enero Polyclinic (Playa Municipality, Havana, Cuba), aimed at leprosy prevention and control.

Methods: An intervention study was carried out. The universe was made up of 54 nurses who work in the family medicine offices belonging to Primero de Enero Polyclinic. The data used were collected in two moments, before and after the intervention. In a third moment, a group of nursing actions were collected aimed at leprosy prevention and control. The results are shown in frequency tables, using percentage as a summary measure and the variation percentage as a comparison measure.

Results: Nurses aged between 16 and 20 years of experience predominated. Before the educational intervention, 40.7% did not know about the disease; while, after the intervention, 100% knew about it.

Conclusions: It was possible to modify the nurses’ level of knowledge about leprosy in the studied polyclinic.