National Centre of Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Collaborative Research Network on Tropical Diseases, RICET, Madrid, Spain.
Infect Dis Poverty. 2021 Apr 23;10(1):55. doi: 10.1186/s40249-021-00841-4.
Chagas disease is endemic in Latin America and, over the last few decades, due to population movements, the disease has spread to other continents. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical in terms of improving outcomes for those living with Chagas disease. However, poor knowledge and awareness is one of barriers that affects access to Chagas disease diagnosis and treatment for the population at risk. Information regarding immigrants' knowledge concerning Chagas disease control and prevention is insufficient in non-endemic countries and, therefore, this study sought to assess Chagas disease knowledge and awareness within the Bolivian community residing in Madrid.
This cross-sectional study was carried out in March-August 2017. A total of 376 Bolivians answered a structured questionnaire. A knowledge index was created based on respondents' knowledge about transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, and place to seek treatment. Multivariate logistic regressions analyses were performed to assess the factors associated with respondents' knowledge of Chagas disease.
A total 159 (42.4%) of Bolivians interviewed about their knowledge of Chagas disease were men and 217 (57.6%) were women. Vinchuca was mentioned as mode of transmission by 71% of the Bolivians surveyed, while only 9% mentioned vertical transmission. Almost half of the Bolivians did not know any symptom of Chagas disease and only 47% knew that a specific blood test is necessary for diagnosis. Most of Bolivians were aware of the severity of Chagas disease, but 45% of Bolivians said that there is no cure for Chagas and 96% did not know any treatment. Based on the index of knowledge generated, only 34% of Bolivians had a good knowledge about Chagas disease transmission, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. According to the multiple logistic regression analysis, knowledge regarding Chagas disease, diagnosis and treatment was significantly higher amongst older Bolivians who had secondary education at least, as well as amongst those who had already been tested for Chagas disease.
This study found that most of the Bolivian population living in Spain had poor knowledge about Chagas disease transmission, symptoms, diagnostic methods and treatment. A poor understanding of the disease transmission and management is one of the most important barriers when it comes to searching for early diagnosis and appropriate care.
恰加斯病在拉丁美洲流行，过去几十年中，由于人口流动，该疾病已传播到其他大洲。对于患有恰加斯病的人来说，早期诊断和治疗对于改善预后至关重要。然而，知识和意识的缺乏是影响高危人群获得恰加斯病诊断和治疗的障碍之一。关于移民对恰加斯病控制和预防的认知信息在非流行国家是不足的，因此，本研究旨在评估居住在马德里的玻利维亚社区对恰加斯病的认知和意识。
本横断面研究于 2017 年 3 月至 8 月进行。共有 376 名玻利维亚人回答了一份结构化问卷。根据受访者对传播途径、症状、诊断和治疗地点的了解，创建了一个知识指数。采用多变量逻辑回归分析来评估与受访者对恰加斯病的认知相关的因素。
共有 159 名（42.4%）接受调查的玻利维亚男性和 217 名（57.6%）女性受访者了解恰加斯病的相关知识。71%的被调查玻利维亚人提到了蚋作为传播途径，而只有 9%的人提到垂直传播。近一半的玻利维亚人不知道任何恰加斯病的症状，只有 47%的人知道需要专门的血液检测才能诊断。大多数玻利维亚人都知道恰加斯病的严重性，但 45%的玻利维亚人表示没有恰加斯病的治愈方法，96%的人不知道任何治疗方法。根据生成的知识指数，只有 34%的玻利维亚人对恰加斯病的传播、症状、诊断和治疗有较好的了解。根据多变量逻辑回归分析，在年龄较大、至少受过中等教育的玻利维亚人以及已经接受过恰加斯病检测的人群中，对恰加斯病的认知、诊断和治疗知识显著更高。
本研究发现，居住在西班牙的玻利维亚人对恰加斯病的传播、症状、诊断方法和治疗方法的了解普遍较差。对疾病传播和管理的认识不足是寻求早期诊断和适当治疗的最重要障碍之一。
