Bancroftian filariasis has been an endemic parasite in Pernambuco since 1918 expanding into the metropolitan region of Recife, and becoming a permanent challenge to be faced by the public health authorities as well as by the population and schools in the risk areas. As support in creating pedagogic strategies that stimulate pupils to put into practice preventative measures against the disease, we identified the mental models of 50 pupils aged from 9 to 10, living at endemic areas of the Recife Metropolitan Region. The results indicated that the children: (a) believe that the filariasis can be avoided and treated, that it is caused by external factors and that the observance of medical recommendations is fundamental to the success of the treatment; (b) have difficulties in identifying the symptoms and phases of the disease; (c) they based their models on features they can see. This makes it possible to build pedagogical activities that simulate, in school, real situations lived by the children in its community.
Bancroftian filariasis; Elephantiasis; Health education; Mental models