Animation as Supplementary Learning Material About Carcinogenic Liver Fluke in Classes for Primary Schoolchildren.

Carcinogenic liver fluke is still an issue of great concern in some countries of Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand, Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and Vietnam. The infection, caused by Opisthorchis viverrini, is associated to cholangiocarcinoma and is endemic among human populations for whom raw fish is frequently consumed. Prevention and health education are required. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of educational intervention to improve knowledge among primary schoolchildren based on animation-assisted education. In this study, 80 participants (40 participants in the experimental group and 40 participants in the comparison group) were selected in 2018. The effectiveness of an interactive animation program in improving the knowledge of students studying liver fluke was determined based on scores on tests given before and immediately after completion of a 4.29-min animated program on the liver fluke life cycle, risk factors, disease, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control. Data were analyzed using SPSS-22 via paired t tests and independent samples t tests at a significance level of 0.05. A marked and significant improvement was observed in the immediate posttest compared with the pretest scores. More importantly, the students who had used the animated program achieved a significantly higher score on the final test than the comparison group. The results offered in the first report show that the use of the animated program facilitated education about liver fluke. It is strongly believed that animations are good supplementary learning materials for students, particularly for learning about serious concepts.

Effect of Educational Intervention Based on the Health Belief Model and Self-Efficacy in Promoting Preventive Behaviors in a Cholangiocarcinoma Screening Group.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a neoplasm known as one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths in Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. Prevention and health education are required. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness of an educational intervention to prevent CCA among a rural population in Thailand based on the health belief model (HBM) and self-efficacy frameworks. In this quasi-experimental study, 60 participants (30 participants in the experimental group and 30 participants in the control group) were selected in 2017. The educational intervention for the experimental group consisted of seven training sessions (introduction to CCA, risk factors, complications, benefits and barriers to proper consumption of cooked fish, carcinogenic agents, behavioral protection, and self-efficacy in applying preventive behaviors). A questionnaire that consisted of demographic information, knowledge, and HBM constructs (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy) was used to measure CCA preventive behaviors before and 3 months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS-22 via chi-squared, paired t-tests, and independent samples t tests at a significance level of 0.5. Three months after the intervention, the experimental group showed a significant increase in the knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, self-efficacy, and CCA preventive behaviors compared to the control group. This study showed the effectiveness of the intervention based on the HBM constructs and self-efficacy in the adoption of CCA preventive behaviors 3 months post intervention in the risk group. Thus, these models may serve as a framework for designing and implementing educational interventions for the prevention of CCA.

The Effect of Health Behavior Modification Program for Liver Fluke Prevention among the Risk Group in Rural Communities, Thailand

This quasi-experimental research aimed to study the effect of health behavior modification program in relation to knowledge, self-efficacy, expectation, and practice for liver fluke prevention among the risk group from Bueng Samrong sub-district, Kaeng Sanam Nang district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Northeast Thailand. The total of 66 participants was assigned to experimental and comparison group, 33 participants in each group, 12-weeks intervene period. The experimental group was received health behavioral modification programs based on health education, self-efficacy, motivation, social support and networking. Pre-and-post-tests were measured using predesigned questionnaires. The comparative analysis was analyzed by paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test at the 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that the experimental group had significantly greater knowledge, self-efficacy, expectation, and practice for liver fluke prevention than those in the comparison group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this was a successful health education program for liver fluke avoidance. Participants were gained the correct knowledge and had the higher self-efficacy, expectation, and practice regrading liver fluke prevention. Therefore, it may useful for further behavior modification in the other epidemic areas.