Effect of peer education on knowledge, attitude and practices towards schistosomiasis among primary school students in endemic foci of Wuhan City

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of peer education on knowledge, attitude and practices towards schistosomiasis control among primary school students in endemic foci of Wuhan City. Yucai Hankou Primary School in Jiang' an District, Wuhan City was selected in 2021, and all students at grades 4 and 5 were sampled using a cluster sampling method to receive peer education about schistosomiasis. The changes of knowledge, attitude and practices towards schistosomiasis control were compared before and after peer education to evaluate the effect of peer education on knowledge, attitude and practices towards schistosomiasis control. The overall awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge and the overall proportion of correct attitudes towards schistosomiasis control and correct schistosomiasis-related behaviors increased from 51.50%, 93.70% and 92.99% before peer education to 86.50%, 98.98% and 98.72% after peer education among primary school students, respectively (χ2=149.457, 21.692 and 20.691, all P values < 0.05). The overall awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge and the overall proportion of correct attitudes towards schistosomiasis control and correct schistosomiasis-related behaviors were 49.19%, 92.20% and 92.72% among Grade 4 primary school students and 53.83%, 95.21% and 93.28% among Grade 5 primary school students prior to peer education (χ2 = 1.214, 2.034 and 0.096, all P values > 0.05), and increased to 75.93%, 98.09% and 97.59% among Grade 4 primary school students and 97.16%, 99.87% and 99.87% among Grade 5 primary school students after peer education, respectively (χ2 = 40.798, 9.572, 7.207, 133.194, 9.678 and 14.926, all P values < 0.05). The overall awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge and the overall proportion of correct attitudes towards schistosomiasis control and correct schistosomiasis-related behaviors were 51.25%, 76.92% and 77.97% among male primary school students and 51.80%, 94.42% and 95.70% among female primary school students prior to peer education, the differences in the overall proportion of correct attitudes towards schistosomiasis control and correct schistosomiasis-related behaviors between male primary school students and female primary school students were significant (χ2 = 30.462 and 33.416, both P values < 0.05), and increased to 86.23%, 98.25% and 97.79% among male primary school students and 86.83%, 99.85% and 99.85% among female primary school students after peer education (χ2 = 0.081, 3.529 and 3.335, all P values > 0.05), respectively. Peer education is effective to improve the knowledge, attitude and practices towards schistosomiasis control among primary school students in endemic foci of Wuhan City, which may be more effective to improve the awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge and proportion of correct schistosomiasis-related behaviors among primary school students at high grades.