Pediculose capitis: prevalência em escolares da Rede Municipal Pública de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil / Pediculosis capitis: prevalence in students of the public school network of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brasil

ABSTRACT

During 1985, 50,356 children and adolecents from 105 public schools of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State were questioned about or examined for head lice (Pediculus capitis). The mean prevalence of pediculosis, obtainde from the questionnaires and sometimes confirmed by head inspections, was 7.7% or else 10.2% when adjusted to 38,311 respondents. Current and past infestations combined - within a period of three months before survey - revealed a total prevalence of 57.4%. Significant differences were observed among socioeconomic levels, and grades of school age. The more prevalent categories among the factors studied were sex - femal 9.2% (P<0.001); ethnic group - white 10.0% (P<0.001); hair length - long 9.5% (P<0.05); year age-group - 1-5 years 19.2% (P<0.001), with a peak in the 5th year (21.3%).