INTRODUCTION: Pediculosis infestation has becomes a major health problem in our communities today with the development of urbanization. The lice are parasitic insects that infest mammals. Hundreds of varietiesÂ’ of lice infest humans. Pediculosis is a parasite that can be found on the head of people. Infestation with head lice is called Pediculosis. About 14 million people mainly children are treated annually for head lice in the united states alone. The high levels of louse infestation have also been reported from all over the world including Denmark, Sweden, U.K. France and Australia.Pediculosis is a frustrating and common problem for many school age children. It is estimated that 6 to 12 million children between the age of 6 and 12 years get infested with head lice each year. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of Pediculosis among selected residential school children. A quantitative descriptive survey research design was adopted to conduct study at M.P.P school, Kamakshi Nagar, T.P Gudur, Nellore. A Sample of 60 residential school children was selected using convenience sampling technique. Observational checklist was adopted to collect the data about 30 minutes for each sample. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis and percentage. The results stated that 38 (63.3%) and 10(16.7%) of school children had moderate to high prevalence of Pediculosis respectively. The study concluded that there is a need to implement awareness program on prevention of Pediculosis among residential school children.
Key words: Pediculosis, residential school children, head lice, prevalence, infestation
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