Analysis of morbidity risk factors associated with water contamination in the community of San Pedro, La Azulita, Merida State

Abstract

The present research work evaluates the analysis of morbidity risk factors associated with water contamination in the community of San Pedro, through the diagnosis of wellbeing in the individual, family and community, considering its various aspects. The study revealed the health conditions of the population under study in relation to risk factors and the use of services, both preventive and curative, in addition to knowing their health and the structure of the family. An action-research-participatory, quantitative, cross-sectional and longitudinal study was carried out, the units of analysis included 75 inhabitants. The results were predominantly female, of which 20 were children, 43 were young adults and 12 were older adults. It was observed that the living conditions of the family (housing, physical environment, access to education and availability of services) and their causes reflect important aspects that influence the pattern of behavior in relation to the demand for services and, therefore, the satisfaction of needs. An example of this would be the consumption of untreated water, which leads to a high level of morbidity and especially gastrointestinal and dermatological diseases. In the community in question, there is no good water quality due to the lack of knowledge of the inhabitants about the types of treatments that can be applied to the water to make it suitable for human consumption. Given this approach, a proposal is made for the creation of a health education program to reduce the incidence of water diseases due to the consumption of untreated water, implementing the use of handmade filters.