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Health-education package to prevent worm infections in Chinese schoolchildren . BACKGROUND Soil-transmitted helminths are among the most prevalent sources of human infections globally . We determined the effect of an educational package at rural schools in Linxiang City District , Hunan province , China , where these worms are prevalent . The intervention aimed to increase knowledge about soil-transmitted helminths , induce behavioral change , and reduce the rate of infection . METHODS We conducted a single-blind , unmatched , cluster-randomized intervention trial involving 1718 children , 9 to 10 years of age , in 38 schools over the course of 1 school year . Schools were randomly assigned to the health-education package , which included a cartoon video , or to a control package , which involved only the display of a health-education poster . Infection rates , knowledge about soil-transmitted helminths ( as assessed with the use of a questionnaire ) , and hand-washing behavior were assessed before and after the intervention . Albendazole was administered in all the participants at baseline and in all the children who were found to be positive for infection with soil-transmitted helminths at the follow-up assessment at the end of the school year . RESULTS At the follow-up assessment , the mean score for the knowledge of helminths , calculated as a percentage of a total of 43 points on a questionnaire , was 90 % higher in the intervention group than in the control group ( 63.3 vs. 33.4 , P < 0.001 ) , the percentage of children who washed their hands after using the toilet was nearly twice as high in the intervention group ( 98.9 % , vs. 54.2 % in the control group ; P < 0.001 ) , and the incidence of infection with soil-transmitted helminths was 50 % lower in the intervention group than in the control group ( 4.1 % vs. 8.4 % , P < 0.001 ) . No adverse events were observed immediately ( within 15 minutes ) after albendazole treatment . CONCLUSIONS The health-education package increased students ' knowledge about soil-transmitted helminths and led to a change in behavior and a reduced incidence of infection within 1 school year . ( Funded by UBS Optimus Foundation , Zurich , Switzerland ; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number , ACTRN12610000048088 . ) .
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Intervention_Educational
health-education package
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Intervention_Educational
which included a cartoon video , or to a
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Intervention_Control
control package , which involved only the display of a
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Intervention_Educational
health-education poster
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Intervention_Pharmacological
Albendazole
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Outcome_Mental
behavioral change
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Outcome_Physical
rate of infection
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Outcome_Physical
Infection rates
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Outcome_Mental
knowledge about soil-transmitted helminths ( as assessed with the use of a questionnaire ) ,
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Outcome_Mental
hand-washing behavior
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Outcome_Mental
mean score for the knowledge of helminths
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Outcome_Mental
children who washed their hands after using the toilet
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Outcome_Other
nearly twice
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Outcome_Physical
incidence of infection
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Outcome_Adverse-effects
adverse events
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Participant_Age
schoolchildren
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Participant_Sample-size
1718
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Participant_Age
children
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Participant_Age
9 to 10 years of age