Impact of community-led enhanced structured health education on youths' knowledge of alcohol's effects in Kiambu county, Kenya: a quasi-experimental study.

INTRODUCTION

alcohol is the most widely consumed substance globally, contributing to 2.6 million deaths annually, including 320,000 involving youths. In Africa, alcohol is linked to high mortality rates and increased Disability-adjusted Life Years. In Kiambu, Kenya, youth alcohol consumption stands at 28.9%, surpassing the national average of 11.2%. This study explores the impact of community-led, enhanced, structured health education on youths' awareness of alcohol's effects.

METHODS

a quasi-experimental study was conducted in Gatundu South (intervention) and Kabete (control) sub-counties in Kiambu from May 2022 to May 2023. Fourteen Community Health Promoters delivered monthly one-hour sessions in Gatundu South, totaling 12 sessions, covering 12 topics. Quantitative datasets were collected using the WHO's Alcohol AUDIT and questionnaire, while qualitative datasets were gathered through focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) and analyzed thematically. Kenyatta University's ethics committee granted study approval. R software supported data analysis, including mean knowledge scores, Chi-Square, ordinal logistic regression, Difference-in-Difference analysis, and Cohen's d.

RESULTS

youth in the intervention group experienced a significant increase in "very high knowledge" from 57% to 92.6%, compared to a smaller rise in the control group from 26.1% to 39.5%. Post-study, Kabete had 2.6% of participants in the very low knowledge category, versus 0% in Gatundu. The intervention showed a significant impact (DiD: 1.8, Cohen's d: 1.161). FGDs and KIIs indicated limited awareness and access to screening services.

CONCLUSION

the intervention improved knowledge of alcohol-related harm, encouraged healthier behaviors, and reduced adverse effects.