edoc-vmtest

Health-education package to prevent worm infections in Chinese schoolchildren

Bieri, Franziska A. and Gray, Darren J. and Williams, Gail M. and Raso, Giovanna and Li, Yue-Sheng and Yuan, Liping and He, Yongkang and Li, Robert S. and Guo, Feng-Ying and Li, Sheng-Ming and McManus, Donald P.. (2013) Health-education package to prevent worm infections in Chinese schoolchildren. The New England journal of medicine, Vol. 368, H. 17. pp. 1603-1612.

Full text not available from this repository.

Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A6124643

Downloads: Statistics Overview

Abstract

Soil-transmitted helminths are among the most prevalent sources of human infections globally. We determined the effect of an educational package at rural schools in Linxiang City District, Hunan province, China, where these worms are prevalent. The intervention aimed to increase knowledge about soil-transmitted helminths, induce behavioral change, and reduce the rate of infection.; We conducted a single-blind, unmatched, cluster-randomized intervention trial involving 1718 children, 9 to 10 years of age, in 38 schools over the course of 1 school year. Schools were randomly assigned to the health-education package, which included a cartoon video, or to a control package, which involved only the display of a health-education poster. Infection rates, knowledge about soil-transmitted helminths (as assessed with the use of a questionnaire), and hand-washing behavior were assessed before and after the intervention. Albendazole was administered in all the participants at baseline and in all the children who were found to be positive for infection with soil-transmitted helminths at the follow-up assessment at the end of the school year.; At the follow-up assessment, the mean score for the knowledge of helminths, calculated as a percentage of a total of 43 points on a questionnaire, was 90% higher in the intervention group than in the control group (63.3 vs. 33.4, P>0.001), the percentage of children who washed their hands after using the toilet was nearly twice as high in the intervention group (98.9%, vs. 54.2% in the control group; P>0.001), and the incidence of infection with soil-transmitted helminths was 50% lower in the intervention group than in the control group (4.1% vs. 8.4%, P>0.001). No adverse events were observed immediately (within 15 minutes) after albendazole treatment.; The health-education package increased students' knowledge about soil-transmitted helminths and led to a change in behavior and a reduced incidence of infection within 1 sch year. (Funded by UBS Optimus Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number, ACTRN12610000048088.).
Faculties and Departments:09 Associated Institutions > Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) > Former Units within Swiss TPH > Health Impact Assessment (Utzinger)
UniBasel Contributors:Raso, Giovanna
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Massachusetts Medical Society
ISSN:1533-4406
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
Related URLs:
Identification Number:
Last Modified:16 Aug 2013 07:34
Deposited On:16 Aug 2013 07:32

Repository Staff Only: item control page