TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of 'The Vicious Worm' educational tool on Taenia solium knowledge retention in Zambian primary school students after one year
AU - Hobbs, Emma Clare
AU - Mwape, Kabemba Evans
AU - Devleesschauwer, Brecht
AU - Van Damme, Inge
AU - Krit, Meryam
AU - Berkvens, Dirk
AU - Zulu, Gideon
AU - Mambwe, Moses
AU - Chembensofu, Mwelwa
AU - Trevisan, Chiara
AU - Baauw, Jacoba
AU - Phiri, Isaac Khozozo
AU - Speybroeck, Niko
AU - Ketzis, Jennifer
AU - Dorny, Pierre
AU - Willingham, Arve Lee
AU - Gabriël, Sarah
N1 - FTX; DOAJ; (CC BY 4.0)
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Background: Taenia solium is a neglected zoonotic parasite endemic throughout many low-income countries worldwide, including Zambia, where it causes human and pig diseases with high health and socioeconomic burdens. Lack of knowledge is a recognized risk factor, and consequently targeted health educational programs can decrease parasite transmission and disease occurrence in endemic areas. Preliminary assessment of the computer-based education program 'The Vicious Worm' in rural areas of eastern Zambia indicated that it was effective at increasing knowledge of T. solium in primary school students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of 'The Vicious Worm' on knowledge retention by re-assessing the same primary school students one year after the initial education workshops.Methodology/principal findings: Follow-up questionnaires were administered in the original three primary schools in eastern Zambia in 2017, 12 months after the original workshops. In total, 86 pupils participated in the follow-up sessions, representing 87% of the initial workshop respondents. Knowledge of T. solium at 'follow-up' was significantly higher than at the initial 'pre' questionnaire administered during the Vicious Worm workshop that took place one year earlier. While some specifics of the parasite's life cycle were not completely understood, the key messages for disease prevention, such as the importance of hand washing and properly cooking pork, remained well understood by the students, even one year later.Conclusions/significance: Results of this study indicate that 'The Vicious Worm' may be an effective tool for both short- and long-term T. solium education of rural primary school students in Zambia. Inclusion of educational workshops using 'The Vicious Worm' could be recommended for integrated cysticercosis control/elimination programs in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly if the content is simplified to focus on the key messages for prevention of disease transmission.
AB - Background: Taenia solium is a neglected zoonotic parasite endemic throughout many low-income countries worldwide, including Zambia, where it causes human and pig diseases with high health and socioeconomic burdens. Lack of knowledge is a recognized risk factor, and consequently targeted health educational programs can decrease parasite transmission and disease occurrence in endemic areas. Preliminary assessment of the computer-based education program 'The Vicious Worm' in rural areas of eastern Zambia indicated that it was effective at increasing knowledge of T. solium in primary school students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of 'The Vicious Worm' on knowledge retention by re-assessing the same primary school students one year after the initial education workshops.Methodology/principal findings: Follow-up questionnaires were administered in the original three primary schools in eastern Zambia in 2017, 12 months after the original workshops. In total, 86 pupils participated in the follow-up sessions, representing 87% of the initial workshop respondents. Knowledge of T. solium at 'follow-up' was significantly higher than at the initial 'pre' questionnaire administered during the Vicious Worm workshop that took place one year earlier. While some specifics of the parasite's life cycle were not completely understood, the key messages for disease prevention, such as the importance of hand washing and properly cooking pork, remained well understood by the students, even one year later.Conclusions/significance: Results of this study indicate that 'The Vicious Worm' may be an effective tool for both short- and long-term T. solium education of rural primary school students in Zambia. Inclusion of educational workshops using 'The Vicious Worm' could be recommended for integrated cysticercosis control/elimination programs in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly if the content is simplified to focus on the key messages for prevention of disease transmission.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Animals
KW - Child
KW - Disease Eradication
KW - Female
KW - Hand Disinfection
KW - Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Schools/statistics & numerical data
KW - Students/psychology
KW - Surveys and Questionnaires
KW - Swine
KW - Swine Diseases/parasitology
KW - Taenia solium/physiology
KW - Taeniasis/prevention & control
KW - Zambia
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007336
DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007336
M3 - A1: Web of Science-article
C2 - 31107880
SN - 1935-2727
VL - 13
JO - PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
JF - PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
IS - 5
M1 - e0007336
ER -