Influence of health education on local beliefs. Incomplete success, or partial failure.

Abstract

Health education can sometimes lead to unexpected results when people adapt their beliefs to new ideas being taught. Recent experience of the department of health education at St Mary's Hospital Lacor is presented to illustrate this phenomenon. The Acholi practice of removing children's unerupted deciduous canine teeth is reviewed, and the results of a retrospective study of hospital admissions of children with complications following the operation are analysed. The increased number of such admissions following a health education campaign is discussed, and it is concluded that a more radical approach is needed to counteract the harmful belief. Partial success and indirect positive results should not satisfy health workers whose main goal must be to make people fully understand what is dangerous to their wellbeing.