Effectiveness of Health Educational Program Based on Health Belief Model, Self-efficacy and Social Support to Prevent Opisthorchiasis among Primary School Students in Bandung District, Udonthani Province, Thailand

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of health education program based on Health Belief Model, self-efficacy and social support to prevent opisthorchiasis among primary school students. Methods: In this quasi-experimental research, a sample of 70 primary school students (grade 4 – 6) in Bandung District of Udon Thani province were randomized into experimental and control groups (n = 35 per group). The intervention which the experiment group received were composed of 1) health education by the researcher about opisthorchiasis in week 1, 2) focus group discussion in week 3, 3) education activities by using the cartoon animation in week 4, 4) learning from a person with opisthorchiasis infected and a relative of a person passed away with opisthorchiasis or Cholangiocarcinoma as models in week 6, 5) assay writing competition about opisthorchiasis in week 7, 6) training to record their behaviors in week 8, 7) home visits by researchers and village health volunteers after the 10 weeks. The intervention took 10 weeks.Data were collected by questionnaires. Paired t-test and independent t-test were used to compare scores of knowledge, behavioral factors and practice of the behavior for within- and between-group comparisons, respectively. Results: After the intervention, scores of knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived self-efficacy and practice of the behavior to prevent opisthorchiasis in the experimental group were higher than baseline and higher than those in control group  (P-value < 0.001 for all comparisons). Conclusion: Health education program based on Health Belief Model, self-efficacy and social support to prevent opisthorchiasis among primary school students was effective. Keywords: prevention, opisthorchiasis, Health Belief Model, self-efficacy, social support, health education media