EFFECTS OF A SCHOOL-BASED EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR SCHISTOSOMIASIS CONTROL

The role and effect of school-based education for schistosomiasis control needs to be ex- plored further to raise the standard of health in the widely infected areas over the world. This study investigated the effect, particularly the retention or duration of effect, of a school education program for schistosomiasis control. The study was conducted from September 2000 to February 2001 in a district of Mount Darwin, Zimbabwe. Two hundred ninety-nine fifth graders from 8 primary schools were examined for their knowledge, attitude, beliefs and practice regarding schistosomiasis, based on a KABP form, three times in succession. The examinations were a baseline examination, a pre-exami- nation checking for the effect of the program, and a post-examination assessing retention after three- months. Analyses of the examination results indicated a considerable effect of the program in all aspects except for practice. Further detailed analyses on 161 matched pair subjects comparing the difference between the pre- and post-examination results demonstrated how the subjects maintained or rather increased what they had learned, illustrating an amplifying resonance or percussion effect, that is, a group dynamic effect in the school setting. No clear correlation, however, was shown be- tween the education effect and the infection rate of the subject groups. Ways to prevent the deteriora- tion of the practice aspect, and the cause of the negative correlation between the infection rate and education effect need to be closely investigated, while trying out more participatory-type education is an absolute necessity.