# Research on health education and health promotion during the process of schistosomiasis elimination III new approaches for student health education

## TL;DR

This study compares new educational methods to traditional ones for teaching schoolchildren about schistosomiasis, finding that innovative approaches improve knowledge and practices more effectively.

## Contribution

The study introduces and evaluates two novel educational strategies—curriculum-integrated infiltration and stepwise progressive approaches—for schistosomiasis health education.

## Key findings

- Curriculum-integrated and stepwise approaches improved knowledge more than traditional methods.
- The infiltration approach was most effective for practices improvement in low-resource settings.
- Both new methods showed similar overall knowledge gains but outperformed traditional interventions.

## Abstract

Schistosomiasis remains a critical public health challenge in endemic regions, particularly among school-aged children. Despite global efforts, conventional health education approaches show limited success in translating knowledge into sustained practices change. This study evaluates the efficacy of two innovative educational approaches—curriculum-integrated infiltration and stepwise progressive approaches—compared to traditional methods in enhancing schistosomiasis-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among students. A school-based intervention was conducted in Duchang County’s Zhouxi township, with is an area afferted by schistosomiasis in China. Sixth-grade students (n ≈ 300) were divided into three groups: a traditional intervention group receiving standard WHO-aligned lectures, an infiltration group with cross-disciplinary curriculum integration, and a stepwise group with modular, tiered content. KAP outcomes were assessed via validated questionnaires at baseline and post-intervention. Both intervention groups demonstrated significant knowledge gains compared to traditional intervention (post-intervention accuracy: infiltration 89.67%, stepwise 91.10%, traditional intervention 86.50%; P < 0.001). Practices knowledge showed the most significant improvement (41.47% increase in the infiltration group vs. 22.38% in traditional intervention). The stepwise approaches achieved the highest overall accuracy (91.10%) but showed no statistically significant advantage over the infiltration approach (P > 0.05). Attitudinal improvements were consistent across groups, with high baseline rates limiting further gains (post-intervention: 95.60–96.68%). Curriculum-integrated and stepwise approaches effectively address the knowledge-practices gap in schistosomiasis education. The infiltration strategy, requiring minimal resources, is ideal for practices reinforcement in low-resource settings, while the stepwise approach suits rapid knowledge dissemination in well-resourced areas. These findings advocate for context-adaptive, multisectoral frameworks to optimize school-based interventions, aligning with WHO goals for neglected tropical disease elimination.

Schistosomiasis remains a persistent public health challenge, particularly among school-aged children in endemic regions. Conventional health education approaches often fail to translate knowledge into sustained practices change. This study evaluated two innovative educational approaches—curriculum-integrated infiltration and stepwise progressive approaches—against traditional methods in a schistosomiasis-endemic area near Poyang Lake, China. Sixth-grade students were divided into traditional intervention, infiltration, and stepwise intervention groups. Validated questionnaires assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) pre- and post-intervention. Both intervention groups outperformed traditional intervention in knowledge gains, with practices knowledge showing the most significant improvement. Attitudinal improvements were limited due to high baseline rates. The infiltration approaches, requiring minimal resources, proved ideal for practices reinforcement in low-resource settings, while the stepwise approach excelled in rapid knowledge dissemination. Findings advocate for context-adaptive, multisectoral frameworks to bridge the knowledge-practices gap, aligning with WHO goals for neglected tropical disease elimination. This study provides actionable insights for optimizing school-based interventions in endemic regions globally.