Outcome assessment of health education on endemic diseases in Henan province in 2010 / 中国地方病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the effect of health education on endemic diseases in Henan province in 2010.Methods According to the requirements of The Education Program for Endemic Diseases Control in 2009 Henan Province,50 counties (districts) of 18 cities with endemic diseases were selected.Referring to the health education questionnaire in the program,knowledge of endemic diseases were asked of pupils and housewives.Intervention effects were evaluated two months after teaching pupils and housewives in counties,towns,villages and schools with the knowledge of endemic diseases and the questionnaire was used.Results Among 50 counties investigated,5523 pupils and 3206 housewives were surveyed in the baseline according to the requirement,and 5417 pupils and 2891 housewives were surveyed for outcome evaluation.The results showed that after this education,pupils' knowledge about endemic diseases increased from 66.31％(10 987/16 569) in the baseline survey to 93.84％(15 250/16 251),the difference have statistical significant(x2 =3877.78,P ＜ 0.01) ; housewives from 67.56％(6133/9078)to 92.67％(8037/8673),the difference have statistical significant(x2 =1736.33,P ＜ 0.01).After the education,the pupils' knowledge about the iodine deficiency disorders,drinking-water-borne fluorosis and arsenic poisning,coal-burning-borne fluorosis increased from 70.15％ (6263/8928),62.29％(4423/7101),42.96％ (185/270),68.52％ (116/270) to 94.19％ (8344/8859),93.05％ (6376/6852),99.63％ (261/270),96.67％ (269/270),the difference have statistical significant (x2 =1749.85,1939.26,211.83,74.43,all P ＜ 0.01),housewives' knowledge about the iodine shortage diseases,drinking-water-borne fluorosis,the endemic fluorine,the arsenic poisoning increased from 73.27％ (3330/4545),62.79％ (2677/4263,30.37％ (85/135),62.96％(41/135) to 93.96％(4228/4500),91.08％(3555/3903),97.04％(123/135),91.11％(131/135),the difference have statistical significant (x2 =751.03,924.65,129.75,30.23,all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Health education intervention has a marked effect in increasing the peoples' knowledge of endemic diseases.Therefore health education should be enhanced in the future.