Effect of Health Education on Schistosomiasis Control Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice after Schistosomiasis Blocking: Results of a Longitudinal Observational Study in the Field

Jiaxin Feng; Xinyi Wang; Xia Zhang; Hehua Hu; Jingbo Xue; Chunli Cao; Jing Xu; Pin Yang; Shizhu Li

doi:10.3390/tropicalmed8050267

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (May 2023)

Effect of Health Education on Schistosomiasis Control Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice after Schistosomiasis Blocking: Results of a Longitudinal Observational Study in the Field

Jiaxin Feng,
Xinyi Wang,
Xia Zhang,
Hehua Hu,
Jingbo Xue,
Chunli Cao,
Jing Xu,
Pin Yang,
Shizhu Li

Affiliations

Jiaxin Feng: National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
Xinyi Wang: National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
Xia Zhang: Jiangling Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jingzhou 434000, China
Hehua Hu: Jiangling Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jingzhou 434000, China
Jingbo Xue: National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
Chunli Cao: National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
Jing Xu: National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
Pin Yang: National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
Shizhu Li: National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8050267
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8, no. 5
p. 267

Abstract

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Objectives: Schistosomiasis is a zoonotic infectious disease that seriously harms people’s physical and mental health. As early as 1985, the WHO suggested that health education and health promotion should be the focus of schistosomiasis prevention work. This study aimed to explore the effect of health education on controlling the risk of schistosomiasis transmission after schistosomiasis blocking and to provide a scientific basis for the further improvement of intervention strategies after schistosomiasis interruption in China and other endemic countries. Methods: In Jiangling County, Hubei Province, China, one severe, one moderate, and one mildly endemic village were selected as the intervention group; two severe, two moderate, and two mildly endemic villages were selected as the control group. In towns with different epidemic types, a primary school was randomly selected for intervention. In September 2020, a baseline survey was carried out through a questionnaire survey to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of adults and students concerning schistosomiasis control. Next, two rounds of health education interventions for schistosomiasis control were carried out. The evaluation survey was conducted in September 2021 and the follow-up survey conducted in September 2022. Results: Compared with the baseline survey, the qualified rate of the KAP on schistosomiasis prevention of the control group in the follow-up survey increased from 79.1% (584/738) to 81.0% (493/609) (p > 0.05); in the intervention group, the qualified rate of the KAP on schistosomiasis control increased from 74.9% (286/382) to 88.1% (260/295) (p p p p p < 0.001). Conclusion: a health education-led risk control model of schistosomiasis can significantly improve schistosomiasis control knowledge among adults and students, establishing correct attitudes and leading to the development of correct hygiene habits.

Published in Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease

ISSN: 2414-6366 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/tropicalmed

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