Conocimientos de cuidadores en salud pediátrica en ni？os internados en el Hospital Universitario de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia

background: the hospital must represent for carers a value added, to increase their knowledge about the disease and prevention of prevalent diseases of childhood; causing changes in the attitude towards health and disease, with decrement in child mortality. objective: to establish the efficacy of the education received during hospitalization, regarding changes in carers knowledge about the disease cause of admission and diseases prevalent. methodology: a quasi-experimental study with repeated measures and prospective information recollection. a total of 128 caregivers previous informed consent, were interrogated with a format to assess the level of knowledge to the ingress and egress, addressing issues of prevalent diseases of childhood. were estimated for each topic change in knowledge and then multiple linear regression models were evaluated determinants of magnitude of learning. results: at discharge increased the percentage of correct answers on the topics. variables associated with learning were infectious disease (coefficient: 2.99%, 95% ci 0.36 to 5.61), malnutrition (11.45%, 95% ci 5.21 to 17.68), subsidized (-3.39%, 95% ci -6.41 to -0.37), caregiver school (-2.36%, 95% ci -4.65 to -0.06) and to consider appropriate management (9, 15%, 95% ci 3.16 to 15.13). as for nutrition, ≥ 2 layers caregivers evidenced less learning (-7.21%, 95% ci -13.73 to -0.69). also, when i explained the disease, had higher learning (7.43%, 95% ci 0.27 to 14.59). discussion: this study encourages further research to provide new evidence on the importance of health education at the hospital. conclusions: increased knowledge level during hospitalization, without reaching 30% expected and evidence that several factors affect this learning. salud uis 2012; 44 (2):35-43