Effects of a school-based education program for schistosomiasis control.

The role and effect of school-based education for schistosomiasis control needs to be explored 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-examination 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 between the education effect and the infection rate of the subject groups. Ways to prevent the deterioration 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.