Determining the Impact of a School-Based Health Education Package for Prevention of Intestinal Worm Infections in the Philippines: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Intervention Trial
File version
Version of Record (VoR)
Author(s)
Williams, Gail M
Tallo, Veronica L
Olveda, Remigio M
Aung, Eindra
Alday, Portia
Donald Renosa, Mark
Mae Daga, Chona
Landicho, Jhoys
Paz Demonteverde, Maria
Dianne Santos, Eunice
Andrea Bravo, Thea
Bieri, Franziska A Angly
Li, Yuesheng
Clements, Archie CA
Steinmann, Peter
Halton, Kate
Stewart, Donald E
McManus, Donald P
Gray, Darren J
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
Size
File type(s)
Location
Abstract
Background: Repeated mass drug administration (MDA) of antihelminthics to at-risk populations is still the main strategy for the control of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections. However, MDA, as a stand-alone intervention, does not prevent reinfection. Accordingly, complementary measures to prevent STH reinfection, such as health education and improved sanitation, as part of an integrated control approach, are required to augment the effectiveness of MDA for optimal efficiency and sustainability. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the impact and generalizability of a school-based health education package entitled The Magic Glasses for STH prevention in the Philippines. Methods: We conducted a cluster randomized controlled intervention trial, involving 2020 schoolchildren aged 9-10 years, in 40 schools in Laguna Province, Philippines, to evaluate the impact of the school-based health education package for the prevention of STHs. The trial was conducted over the course of 1 year (June 2016 to July 2017). A total of 20 schools were randomly assigned to the intervention arm, in which The Magic Glasses Philippines health education package was delivered with the standard health education activities endorsed by the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Education (DepEd). The other 20 schools comprised the control arm of the study, where the DOH/DepEd's standard health education activities were done. At baseline, parasitological assessments and a knowledge, attitude, and practice survey were carried out in all schools. In addition, height, weight, and hemoglobin levels were obtained from each child (after parental consent), and their school attendance and academic performance in English and mathematics were accessed from the school records. The baseline and 2 follow-up surveys were completed using the same study measurements and quality-control assessments. Results: Key results from this cluster randomized intervention trial will shed light on the impact that The Magic Glasses health education package will have against STH infections in schoolchildren in the province of Laguna, located on the Island of Luzon, in the Calabarzon Region of the Philippines. Conclusions: The results of the trial will be used to assess the generalizability of the impact of The Magic Glasses health education package in different epidemiological and cultural settings, providing evidence for translation of this health education package into public health policy and practice in the Asian region and beyond. Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number ACTRN12616000508471; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=368849. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/18419.
Journal Title
JMIR Research Protocols
Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
9
Issue
6
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
DOI
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
© 2020 Mationg, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR Research Protocols, is properly cited.
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
Clinical sciences
Health services and systems
Public health
Magic Glasses
Philippines
integrated control
randomized controlled trial
school-based health educational intervention
Persistent link to this record
Citation
Mationg, MLS; Williams, GM; Tallo, VL; Olveda, RM; Aung, E; Alday, P; Reñosa, MD; Daga, CM; Landicho, J; Demonteverde, MP; Santos, ED; Bravo, TA; Angly Bieri, FA; Li, Y; Clements, ACA; Steinmann, P; Halton, K; Stewart, DE; McManus, DP; Gray, DJ, Determining the Impact of a School-Based Health Education Package for Prevention of Intestinal Worm Infections in the Philippines: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Intervention Trial., JMIR Research Protocols, 2020, 9 (6)