351. Developing and evaluating health education learning package (HELP) to control soil-transmitted helminth infections among Orang Asli children in Malaysia
- Author
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Wahib M. Atroosh, Nabil A. Nasr, Yvonne A. L. Lim, Hany Sady, Rohela Mahmud, Ahmed K. Al-Delaimy, and Hesham M. Al-Mekhlafi
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Veterinary medicine ,Trichuriasis ,media_common.quotation_subject ,education ,Helminthiasis ,Albendazole ,Feces ,Soil ,Hygiene ,Environmental health ,Ascariasis ,medicine ,Prevalence ,Animals ,Humans ,Child ,Health Education ,Children ,media_common ,Anthelmintics ,Health education learning package ,Schools ,Orang Asli ,business.industry ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Research ,Malaysia ,medicine.disease ,Infectious Diseases ,Socioeconomic Factors ,Hookworm Infections ,Reinfection ,Tropical medicine ,Health education ,Female ,Parasitology ,Nneglected tropical diseases ,business ,Soil-transmitted helminth - Abstract
Background This study was carried out to develop a health education learning package (HELP) about soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections, and to evaluate what impact such a package could have in terms of reducing the incidence and intensity of STH infections among Orang Asli schoolchildren in Pahang, Malaysia. Methods To identify the key risk factors of STH in Orang Asli communities, we applied an extensive mixed methods approach which involved an intensive literature review, as well as community-based discussions with children, their parents, teachers and health personnel, whilst also placing the children under direct observation. To evaluate the package, 317 children from two schools in Lipis, Pahang were screened for STH infections, treated by a 3-day course of albendazole and then followed up over the next 6 months. The knowledge of teachers, parents and children towards STH infections were assessed at baseline and after 3 months. Results The developed package consists of a half day workshop for teachers, a teacher’s guide book to STH infections, posters, a comic book, a music video, a puppet show, drawing activities and an aid kit. The package was well-received with effective contributions being made by teachers, children and their parents. The incidence rates of hookworm infection at different assessment points were significantly lower among children in the intervention school compared to those in the control school. Similarly, the intensity of trichuriasis, ascariasis and hookworm infections were found to be significantly lower among children in the HELP group compared to those in the control group (P
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