Health Education Activities Research Articles

Factors Associated with Non-Adherence to Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment among Adult Contacts of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Cases with Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Catalonia, Spain, in 2019-2021.

The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with non-adherence to tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment among contacts with latent TB infection for new cases of pulmonary TB cases reported in Catalonia in 2019-2021. All contacts aged 18 years or older with a latent TB infection who received a TB preventive treatment were included in the study. The Chi square test and the odds ratios (OR) were used to assess the association between non-adherence to TB preventive treatment and the study variables; a p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to detect the independent factors associated with TB preventive treatment non-adherence; a p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The percentage of non-adherence to TB preventive treatment found in this study was 23.7%. A multivariable logistic regression analysis determined that the following factors were significantly associated with TB preventive treatment non-adherence among adult contacts: "exposure at school or workplace" (aOR = 3.34), "exposure to an index case without laboratory confirmation of TB" (aOR = 2.07), "immigrant contact" (aOR = 1.81), "male gender" (aOR = 1.75) and "exposure duration < 6 h per week or sporadic" (aOR = 1.60. By contrast, the factor "short-term TB preventive treatment regimen" (aOR = 0.38) was significantly associated with a lower treatment non-adherence. Adherence to TB preventive treatment should be improved among adult contacts of TB pulmonary cases with latent TB infection by recommending short-term treatment regimens and by developing health education activities, with a greater focus on contacts with factors associated with treatment non-adherence.

PENYULUHAN PERILAKU HIDUP BERSIH DAN SEHAT (PHBS) DI SDN 2 ULIM PIDIE JAYA

Clean and healthy living behavior (PHBS) is a series of actions implemented based on awareness, which is the result of the learning process. This behavior is key to shaping individuals, families, groups, or communities capable of maintaining their own health and actively contributing to creating optimal health conditions in their surroundings. For example, PHBS activities are carried out at SDN 2 ULIM involving 29 students from the 6th grade. The students' participation in these activities proves that health education significantly contributes to improving their understanding of clean and healthy living behavior. Through these activities, students can comprehend the importance of maintaining personal and environmental hygiene and put it into practice in their daily lives. Therefore, it is crucial to broaden the scope of health education activities so that more students can gain in-depth knowledge about PHBS. Involving more participants, such as families and communities, can be a strategic step in creating an environment that supports a healthy lifestyle. Awareness of the importance of clean and healthy living behavior also needs to be widely socialized, perhaps through community programs or public campaigns. Thus, health messages can penetrate and be implemented by the wider community. In other words, health education activities not only serve to enhance knowledge but also as part of the effort to form sustainable positive behaviors towards achieving optimal public health

Staphylococcus spp. and mecA gene in pregnant women: a neglected health risk to mother and child

This study aimed to determine the phenotypic, molecular and epidemiological profile of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus spp. in pregnant women. Were included 100 asymptomatic pregnant women between 16 and 38 years old, who underwent microbiological examination by collecting a vaginal swab at the first trimester of pregnancy. The isolates were subjected to isolation, characterization, phenotypic and molecular tests were performed. Among the samples analyzed, were detected coagulase-negative Staphylococcus in 83%, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus, 6% and Streptococcus spp. in 5%, and there was no bacterial growth in 6%. The antibiotics that showed the highest resistance were amoxicillin + clavulanic acid and sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim (92.77%) in coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and penicillin and sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim in coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (100%), where in the latter S. aureus was the species identified in 66.67% of the samples. As for the identification of the mecA gene in Staphylococcus spp. samples, this gene was detected in 40.5% of the samples of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and it was not detected in the samples of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus. The epidemiological study showed that prior treatment with antibiotics was significantly (p≤0.016) associated with oxacillin resistance in vaginal swab samples. The presence of the mecA gene in coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolates demonstrated a bacterial profile in this type of biological sample, different from what is already presented in the scientific literature. New studies are warranted to understand the epidemiology of the bacterial species involved and later to implement health education actions both in the target population and in health care professionals.

Analysis of relationship between caries index and stunting in preschool children in Indonesia

A condition known as stunting results from a persistently low nutritional intake during the first 1000 days of life. It is characterized by a height based on age that is less than two standard deviations from the World Health Organization's (WHO) median standard. There are two categories for stunting: short (Z Score -2 SD) and very short (Z Score -3 SD). Stunting results in a number of oral health issues, including delayed milk tooth eruption, atrophy of the developing salivary glands, reduced salivary flow, and an elevated risk of dental caries. The aim of this research is to analyze the relationship between the caries index and stunting in preschool children (3-6 years) in Indonesia. This research is a cross-sectional study with a sample of 98 children taken randomly in Sidenreng Rappang Regency, Indonesia. Determination of nutritional status based on anthropometric measurements, such as height and weight measurements based on age groups. The Decay Missing Filled-Teeth (DMF-T) examination is conducted by looking at teeth that are decayed, filled and missing. Furthermore, the severity of dental caries is categorized into low (DMF-T 0-2.6), medium (DMF-T 2.7-4.4), and high (DMF-T &gt; 4.5) with data analyzed using the chi-square test. The results of measuring nutritional status showed that 78 children (79.6%) experienced stunting. There are 17 children (17.34%) with DMF-T scores in the low category, 7 children (7,114%) in the medium category, and 26 children (26.53%) in the high category. The results of bivariate analysis show p = 0.000 so that there is a significant relationship between stunting and the severity of dental caries in preschool children in Sidenreng Rappang Regency. It is necessary to increase health promotion efforts related to stunting and dental health through health education activities that involve the role of parents in choosing food intake and maintaining the cleanliness of children's teeth and mouths.

Adolescent-Parent Communication About Reproductive Health Among Junior High School Students

Adolescent-parent communication about reproductive health is still considered taboo. This view prevents students from telling their parents about their health problems. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between factors related to adolescent-parent communication about reproductive health. This research method is analytically observational with a cross-sectional approach. Respondents involved were students of classes VII and VIII, totaling 117 people. The results showed no relationship between gender (p-value= 0.182, OR (95%CI)= 0.846-3.686), information access (p-value= 0.561, OR (95%CI)= 0.603-3.314), gender compatibility (p-value= 0.302, OR (95%CI)= 0.707-5.020), and parental credibility (p-value= 0.100, OR (95%CI)= 0.950-4.370) with adolescent-parent communication about reproductive health. Adolescent-parent communication about reproductive health, which is low and high, has almost the same percentage—of recommendations to parents to improve communication with adolescents regarding reproductive health further. The school also needs to add reproductive health education activities.

Self-care practice and its barriers among diabetes patients in North East Ethiopia: A facility-based cross-sectional study.

Diabetes prevention and management through self-care practice is critical to reducing severe complications and death due to diabetes. Data on the prevalence of self-care practices will help us to design and implement prevention and management strategies to foster adherence and compliance with the interventions. This study was intended to assess self-care preparation and its barriers among diabetes patients in Northeast Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among diabetes patients visiting Debre Berhan Town Public Health Institutions from March 10, 2021- April 10, 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was utilized to select 392 samples. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Measures. Reliability analysis was done using Cronbach's alpha test, and the Hosmer and Lemeshow test also checked for model fitness. Bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression was done to identify the factors associated with dietary practices. For all statistically significant tests, p- a value < 0.05 was used as a cut-off point. The mean age of the respondents was 47.1 years, with a standard deviation (SD) of ± 13.4 years. The mean adherence to self-care practice was 29.00 ± 10.37 SD. More than half, 218 (61.1%) of the study subjects had poor self-care practices. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, being a governmental worker (AOR = 7.06 (1.61-30.9) and having social support from partners (AOR = 5.83(3.01-11.3) showed a statistically significant association with good self-care practice. The current study showed that the overall level of self-care practice of study subjects was poor. Therefore, health facilities should provide adequate health education and promotion activities to enhance patients' level of adherence. In addition, families, partners, or friends of diabetes patients should be informed about their essential roles in patients' self-care practice.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Preventive Practices Towards Dengue Fever Among the Community in Qardho District

Dengue fever is caused by a virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family, which is spread by Aedes eypti mosquitoes and is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease in the world. The objectives of this study were to assess knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices towards dengue fever among the community in the Qardho district. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted by using a structured questionnaire. A sample size of 384 participants was selected, and face-to-face interviews through structured questionnaires were done between August and November 2023. Although 77.2% of the respondents had heard about dengue fever, the study found that Qardho residents had poor knowledge of the disease. Only 27.6% of the respondents recognised the agent causing dengue fever as a virus. About 40% of them thought that mosquitoes were responsible for the disease. Further, only 7% of them maintained that clean water and clean water holding containers might be breeding sites for mosquitoes. Taken together, 73.8% of the respondents had poor knowledge. Despite their poor knowledge, circa 52% of the participants had good attitudes towards dengue-suspected patients, and most of them (71.9%) took preventive measures against the disease. Most of the respondents (43.6%) used mosquito nets. This preventive practice might be due to their prior awareness that mosquitoes are vectors for another serious illness, malaria. Most of the residents in the Qardho district had poor knowledge about dengue fever, the agent causing the disease, its mode of transmission, breeding sites of the vector, treatment, and biting behaviour. The study suggests there is a need to increase health education activities, such as awareness campaigns and mass media, to enhance knowledge about dengue fever. Also, community awareness of vector control plays an important role in disease prevention and control

Penerapan Edukasi Kesehatan Diet Dash terhadap Kepatuhan Dan Tekanan Darah Pasien Hipertensi

This study aims to determine the influence of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) health education on dietary compliance and blood pressure in hypertensive patients located in the Kertasemaya Health Centre Working Area, Indramayu Regency. The research method used Quasi Experimental Pre-Post Test with Control Group by providing health education to the intervention group. Consecutive sampling was selected in sampling with inclusion criteria, namely 160-190 mmHg systole blood pressure, 90-100 mmHg diastole blood pressure, no disease complications, and adult age. The exclusion criteria for this study were those who did not participate in DASH diet health education activities and experienced cognitive impairment and conditions of decreased consciousness. The results showed that there were significant differences in dietary compliance, systole, and diastole blood pressure in the intervention group before and after provided DASH diet health education (p &lt; 0,005). It is concluded that DASH diet health education affects dietary compliance and systole and diastole pressure of hypertensive patients. Keywords: DASH Diet, Hipertension, Diet Adherence, Blood Pressure

Generalized anxiety disorder and associated factors in primary health care workers in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The COVID-19 pandemic had direct and indirect impacts on public health, also affecting the mental health of the population. To analyze symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and associated factors, in primary health care (PHC) professionals. Cross-sectional and analytical study conducted with professionals who work in the Primary Health Care (PHC) of the Northern health macro-region of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data collection was carried out through an online, self-administered questionnaire, made available from August 27, 2021, to October 30, 2021 using the Google Forms tool. The questionnaire included sociodemographic questions as well as questions related to the history of anxiety and work during the pandemic. To assess anxiety symptoms, the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) instrument was used. Data treatment consisted of descriptive analysis of the variables, bivariate analysis followed by multivariate Poisson Regression with robust variance. 702 health professionals participated in the study and the general prevalence of GAD was 32.2%. Current anxiety symptoms were self-reported by 37.6% of the participants. In the final model, the associated factors identified were: female sex (PR = 1.82; 95% CI = 1.17-2.84; p = 0.007), previous symptoms (PR = 1.58; 95% CI = 1.19-2.10; p = 0.002) and (PR = 2.68; 95% CI = 2.00-3.62; p < 0.001) current self-reported anxiety. The results show the need to implement actions in mental health promotion and anxiety prevention, through the dissemination of information about mental health care, health education activities, encouraging the adoption of healthy habits and professional monitoring when necessary.

PENDIDIKAN KESEHATAN MENUJU REMAJA SEHAT BEBAS ANEMIA

Anemia often occurs in teenage girls. Lack of knowledge and awareness in efforts to prevent anemia are factors causing the high incidence of anemia in adolescents. There are many impacts that occur when anemia is left untreated, and can even have long term impacts. This community service activity uses a participant active learning approach with interactive lecture and discussion methods focusing on health education about anemia with 80 participants. The result of this health education activity is an increase in participants knowledge. The hope is that participants can apply the knowledge gained in everyday life, such as consuming balanced nutricious food, doing regular physical activity and taking blood suplement tablets.&#x0D;

Health Education To Reduce Negative Stigma And Increase Willingness To Screen For Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a health problem in the world because Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the 10 highest causes of death worldwide and the main cause of death from infectious agents. The stigma circulating in society influences the desire of patients not to undergo treatment or comply with TB treatment and people who have symptoms become afraid to check themselves and undergo screening because they are reluctant to be viewed negatively by society. This case study aims to determine the effect of health education as an effort to reduce negative stigma and increase willingness to screen. This research uses a case study method consisting of a needs assessment and intervention provided by a health education and TB screening program. Management data showed that 37 residents of Ciwalen Village who were studied had been diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. Of the 37 people who had been diagnosed with pulmonary TB, only 34 people regularly took medication. The results of health education were 13 residents from taking part in screening activities before the health education activity and after the health education activity was held the number increased by 28 people. It can be concluded that the stigma of TB in society has an impact on the TB control process. Health education activities carried out as an effort to reduce the stigma of TB can increase the willingness of residents to undergo TB screening, especially for residents who are at high risk or residents who have symptoms.

Penyuluhan Pengetahuan Bahaya merokok pada Remaja di Desa Doda Kecamatan Kinovari Kabupaten Sigi Sulawesi Tengah

Adolescence according to WHO is the phase between childhood and adulthood in the age range between 10 to 19 years. The world's youth age group is 1.2 billion or 18% of the world's population. Cigarettes and tobacco products consumed by humans are generally are plant leaves (Nicotina, tabacum, nicotina rustica, and other species) that are burned, smoked, inhaled or chewed. There is 2550, a chemical in processed tobacco leaves. Some chemicals quickly cause health problems, lung damage, and weakening of stamina, if burnt cigarette smoke contains about 4000 chemicals, 43 of which are toxic such as nicotine such as nicotine (pesticide), CO (toxic gas), tar. The high prevalence of smokers in Indonesia will increase the risk of these diseases which threaten not only active smokers but also smokers. In active smokers, the danger threatens all organs of the body with impaired function to cancer such as those of the heart and blood vessels (coronary heart disease and blood vessels), respiratory tract (COPD, asthma and nasopharyngeal cancer), and disorders of the reproductive system and pregnancy (disability fetuses, miscarriages, pelvic infections and cancer in the organs of passive smoking adults and children). Users of tobacco products are decreasing, the number of teenagers aged 13-15 who smoke cigarettes has increased in 2014 (18.3%), 2019 (18.8% ). The method used is face-to-face through counseling and using questionnaires, the application of education in the health sector. The results of health education activities through this training are that there is an increase in knowledge about the dangers of smoking by 70% and 70% of adolescents wish to stop smoking

Consented indicators for the evaluation of integrated strategies of community health promotion targeting children and adolescents: results of an eDelphi.

To date, there is no consensus on indicators for the evaluation of integrated community-based interventions for health promotion and prevention targeting children and adolescents. This study aims at consenting on a scoped set of indicators to evaluate integrated community-based interventions. Out of 738 indicators derived from a literature search, we preselected 94 indicators allotted to 20 domains based on an internal quality appraisal and consensus process and conducted an eDelphi procedure to assess their relevance in view of experts. Experts were recruited in the field of public health, health sciences and communal health promotion in practice and were invited as participants in this eDelphi. During the eDelphi, 47 experts rated the relevance of 94 indicators in two rounds. Consensus was defined as agreement of 75% (or above). After round 1, 27 indicators among 11 consented subdomains reached a consensus on relevance. After round 2, a total of 36 indicators reached consensus on relevance in 9 subdomains (such as socioeconomic factors, health education, nutrition and physical activity, oral health, overall health status, specific health conditions, drug related behavior, exposure to drugs and violence, family factors). These identified indicators may provide a basis for evaluation concepts of integrated community-based interventions for children and adolescents to inform stakeholders about intervention impacts.

THE CORRLATION BETWEEN THE ROLE OF NURSES AS EDUCATORS AND MEDICATION ADHERENCE IN DIABETES MELLITUS PATIENTS AT RAWALUMBU BEKASI HOSPITAL IN 2023

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) known in Indonesia as "Diabetes" is a disease whose prevalence is now increasing. The role of the educator itself is to help patients to improve their health by providing health education and medical actions received so that clients or families can know knowledge that is important to patients or families. This study aims to analyze the relationship between the role of nurses as educators with adherence to Treatment P there is Pasien DM at Rawalumbu Bekasi Hospital in 2023. The research method used is quantitative analytical observational with Cross Sectional Study approach and total sampling technique, which is to select samples based on the frequency distribution of patient respondent characteristics. The samples used in this study were 60 diabetes mellitus patients who were treated in the inpatient room at Rawalumbu Bekasi Hospital. The results of the study identified the role of nurses as good educators with medication adherence in non-adherent diabetes mellitus patients totaling 25 respondents (41.7%). There are Chi-Square test results with a significant level of 95% or a value of α 5% (0.05) obtained p value (0.000) &lt; a value of α (0.05) so that it can be concluded from the results Ho rejected means that there is a relationship between the role of nurses as educators with treatment compliance in diabetes mellitus patients at Rawalumbu Bekasi Hospital in 2023.

Promosi Kesehatan Pentingnya Gizi Seimbang pada Anak Sekolah Dasar di Meulaboh, Aceh Barat Tahun 2023

Balanced nutrition knowledge was knowledge about food and nutrients, sources of nutrients in food, safe foods to consume to prevent diseases, and how to properly prepare food to retain nutrients, as well as how to lead a healthy life. One appropriate effort to enhance early knowledge of balanced nutrition is by promoting the importance of balanced nutrition in elementary school children. The method used in this community health education activity was the public health education method. The objective of this community service activity was to provide health education about the importance of balanced nutrition to fifth-grade elementary school students at SDN 03 Meulaboh, West Aceh, so that students would understand the importance of balanced nutrition. Thirty students were selected as respondents using a total sampling technique. The results of this health promotion activity showed that there was an interactive question-and-answer session after the health promotion, and the students were able to answer the questions posed by the facilitator during the Q&amp;A session. It is essential to provide health education about the importance of balanced nutrition to enhance early knowledge of balanced nutrition. Based on the health promotion results conducted on the importance of balanced nutrition at SDN 03 Meulaboh, West Aceh, it can be concluded that the students' knowledge of balanced nutrition was categorized as very poor before receiving education, but it improved to the good category after the health promotion.

ACTIONS FOR THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF ZOONOSES IN HEALTH EDUCATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Diseases arising from the imbalance between the triad environment, humans, and animals affect individuals' health, as well as the social, and economic well-being of the world's population. Across the globe, health education activities are being conducted to prevent and control zoonoses. To guide future educational interventions, we reviewed scientific articles published in the last five years to characterize and verify the tools: target audience, duration, effectiveness, and gaps and difficulties. Four databases were searched, and 16 articles were selected for the meta-analysis, with 81.3% of the studies being conducted in underdeveloped or developing countries. Of these, 56.3% involved children under 14 years of age, and 62.5% involved activities in elementary and middle schools. The researchers are the professionals who are the most engaged in the activities, and 56.3% of the studies are conducted by veterinarians. Several new teaching tools have been proposed, demonstrating remarkable effectiveness. For systematic reviews to provide a guide for the design of new educational activities, it is necessary to better describe teaching methodologies and evaluation tools, as well as to evaluate in the long term, not only the impact of knowledge on the population but the incidence of zoonoses as well.

Training-of-trainers program for community health workers involved in an innovative and community-based intervention against malaria among goldminers in the Guiana shield: a quality and effectiveness evaluation.

An innovative and community-based intervention is implemented in the Guiana Shield to eliminate malaria among people involved in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. The intervention consists of the distribution of malaria self-management kits to goldminers and the presumptive treatment for individuals at risk of carrying Plasmodium vivax hypnozoites. The intervention is possible owing to community health workers (CHWs) who are previously trained to master all intervention procedures, including health education activities and goldmining training. This study aimed to evaluate the training program provided to CHWs in terms of quality and effectiveness. A training-of-trainers program for CHWs has been developed based on the CDC framework. A mixed-method case study was implemented in two steps between February and March 2023. The evaluation was based on a knowledge survey, satisfaction test, observations, and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed and triangulated. A total of 20 CHWs participated in the training and the first-step evaluation. For the second step, four semi-structured interviews were conducted. The Qualitative data showed that group dynamics and adaptations were central elements of a high-quality training program. Quantitative analysis found that CHWs' satisfaction was elevated (> 4/5 overall), especially regarding format and learning results. Improvements in knowledge level demonstrated good effectiveness (pre-training vs. post-training, p < 0.05). Nevertheless, some difficulties persisted regarding tasks of the intervention procedure, such as informed consent and smartphone application procedures (with an inaccuracy rate of 29.2% and 16.7%, respectively). Further on-the-job training permitted to address these issues. The project team's previous experience and the Guiana Shield countries' commitment to the WHO-E-2025-initiative were identified as levers for the quality of the training, while the complexity of the project context was a challenge. High-quality, effective, and appropriate training programs are required for effective and sustainable interventions involving CHW profiles. Training design is a crucial point to address to accomplish quality and effectiveness. The training-of-trainers model has been shown to allow a high level of satisfaction, good learning results, and satisfactory implementation in the field. Initial and continuing training is an indispensable continuum to sustain good practices in the field and CHWs' motivation. Training evaluation permits standardizing methods and facilitates transferability.

Research on the impact of commercial health education and promotion activities on consumer health behavior

The Chinese government emphasizes the importance of public health and disease prevention under the Healthy China strategy. According to data, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases are the leading causes of death among both urban and rural residents in China, and the number of patients with chronic diseases and medical expenses continues to rise. The Healthy China strategy advocates a shift from treatment to prevention, emphasizing the importance of health education and promotion. However, the development of China’s health industry is relatively late, and academic research related to health lags behind. Currently, research in the field of health education in China is mainly focused on school health education, prevention and control of chronic diseases, and intervention in major diseases. There is relatively limited research on the impact of commercial health education and promotional activities on the daily health behaviors and health consumption behaviors of the general population. This study aims to investigate the impact of commercial health education and promotional activities on Chinese consumers.

Experiences of access and use of primary health care by users with systemic arterial hypertension.

To identify and analyze users' perceptions of access and use of health services and actions to monitor Systemic Arterial Hypertension (SAH) in Primary Health Care (PHC). This is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study based on 38 semi-structured interviews conducted with users selected from Basic Health Units (BHUs) in a large municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Thematic content analysis was used to identify the empirical categories. Users faced difficulties in scheduling appointments, accessing laboratory test results and medicines at the BHU. Home visits by Community Health Workers (CHWs) intermediated demands for appointments and tests. There were no health education activities and follow-up by the nursing team was residual. The doctor was the main reference, although links were weakened by turnover. The study identified the need to expand access to basic medicines and test results at the BHU, the role of nurses in promotional, preventive and clinical actions, the scope of CHWs' work in health education and interprofessional work.

First dental consultation in pediatric patients. Machalilla, period September 2022 to July 2023

Dental caries is the most prevalent oral disease, and the main cause of tooth loss and its sequelae, in pediatric age. In Ecuador it is reported that 45% of children between 1 and 9 years old have cavities in untreated temporary teeth. The objective was to determine the age and reason for the first dental consultation in pediatric patients, in the parish of Machalilla, province of Manabí, Ecuador, in the period september 2022 to july 2023. A descriptive study was carried out that included all children aged 0 – 14 years who received a dental consultation for the first time in the First Level Health Center, or in extramural visits in the community. All guardians and caregivers signed the informed consent for their dental care. During the period, 54 patients were treated, 35 (64.9%) in extramural visits and 19 (35.1%) in the dental office, the majority in the age group of 1-4 years, with 26 (48.1%) children, and the main reason for consultation was for a dental examination, 39 (72.3%) children. From the clinical examination carried out, it was determined that 37 children (68.5%) had dental caries and needed conservative restorative treatments or tooth extraction. The results indicate that it is necessary to improve health education and oral disease prevention actions in the pediatric population of Machalilla, involving their guardians and caregivers from an early age