Health Education to Reduce Helminthiasis: Deficits in Diets in Children and Achievement of Students of Elementary Schools at Pontianak, West Kalimantan

Abstract

Worms are still a serious problem for poor and developing countries. Children, especially school-age children, are more at risk of infection. Efforts need to be made to prevent the effects of worms. Prevention can be done through a promotive approach. This observational study with a pre-posttest and cross-sectional approach is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of health education on healthy and helminthic behavior and analyzing the impact of helminthiasis on the deficit in the diet and children’s learning achievement. The number of samples is 60 students from five grade 3 and 4 elementary schools in North Pontianak, West Kalimantan. The sampling technique was carried out by proportional random sampling. Worm infection in elementary school students was 16.7%, anemia was 55%, and learning achievement scores were less than the average grade of 55%. There was a significant difference in health counseling towards a decrease in the worm number (p=0.046). There was a significant relationship between healthy living behavior and helminthiasis (p=0.005). There was a significant relationship between helminthiasis and anemia (p=0.017). There is a relationship between helminthiasis and learning achievement in elementary school children (p=0.017). There is a relationship between anemia and learning achievement (p=0.005). It is necessary for public health centers to provide treatment services for worms and health education about the effects of helminthiasis on health and learning achievement. The school should provide hand washing facilities in schools, and parents should play an active role in improving clean and healthy lifestyle habits at home.