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Children as messengers of health knowledge? Impact of health promotion and water infrastructure in schools on facial cleanliness and trachoma in the community
- Source :
- PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 15, Iss 2, p e0009119 (2021)
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Background Health promotion is essential to the SAFE strategy for trachoma elimination. Schools are a valuable venue for health promotion. However, there is little literature about the impact of health education and water infrastructure in schools on facial cleanliness and trachoma in the community. Our study aimed to describe the current state of school health promotion in Kongwa, Tanzania, and to examine the transferability of health messages from schools to the community at large. Methodology/Findings A cross-sectional survey was carried out in all 92 villages in Kongwa district, which included 85 primary schools. Data were collected on health messages and water infrastructure in the schools. A random sample of 3084 children aged 0–5 were examined for facial cleanliness in all villages. In 50 villages, a random sample of 50 children aged 1–9 per village were examined for follicular trachoma (TF). Thirty-seven (44.6%) schools had educational materials on face-washing. Fifty (60.2%) schools had a washing station. The presence of a health teacher was correlated with having posters on face washing in classrooms. The presence of face-washing materials was correlated with the availability of washing stations. Neither teachers mentioning face-washing in health curricula nor educational materials in classrooms were associated with clean faces or trachoma in the community. Having a washing station in the school was associated with lower community rates of trachoma. Conclusions Primary school health messages and materials on trachoma were not associated with clean faces or lower rates of trachoma in the community. The target audience for primary school health promotion is likely the students themselves, without immediate rippling effects in the community. A long-term perspective should be considered during the implementation of health promotion in schools. The goal of school health promotion should be training the next generation of parents and community health leaders in combatting trachoma.<br />Author summary Trachoma is caused by repeated infection that is spread from person to person via contaminated ocular and nasal discharge. Education on healthy habits such as face washing is essential to the elimination of trachoma. Schools are one place for health promotion programs because so many children can be reached. In previous studies, students showed increased knowledge about trachoma and healthy behavior after engaging in health education programs. We examined if there was evidence that school-based messages were disseminated to the community at large via the primary school students. We found that school health messages did not impact clean faces in pre-school children or trachoma prevalence in the community in general. Having a washing station in the school was associated with lower community rates of trachoma. The data suggested that schoolchildren were not effective messengers of health knowledge and behavior. Primary school health promotion mainly targets students themselves and may not have rippling effects in the community. We should view school health curricula with a long-term perspective as they train the next generation of caregivers and heads of households to raise their own children with healthier habits.
- Subjects :
- Bacterial Diseases
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Eye Diseases
RC955-962
Social Sciences
Tanzania
Families
Promotion (rank)
Medical Conditions
Sociology
Hygiene
Risk Factors
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
Surveys and Questionnaires
Medicine and Health Sciences
Public and Occupational Health
Children
Health Education
media_common
Schools
biology
Professions
Infectious Diseases
Trachoma
Health Education and Awareness
Child, Preschool
Community health
Health education
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Anatomy
Psychology
Water Microbiology
Research Article
Neglected Tropical Diseases
media_common.quotation_subject
education
Health Promotion
Education
Water Supply
Environmental health
medicine
Humans
Curriculum
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Infant, Newborn
Biology and Life Sciences
Infant
Water
Teachers
medicine.disease
biology.organism_classification
Tropical Diseases
Health Care
Ophthalmology
Health promotion
Cross-Sectional Studies
Age Groups
Face
People and Places
Population Groupings
Head
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19352735 and 19352727
- Volume :
- 15
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....e22b64c5b70deabc82bf1a3e20cadb9c