Reducing Malnutrition and Helminthic Infectious Disease Among Primary School Children by the School Nurses
Condition: Malnutrition, Child; Intestinal Worms
MeSH terms: Communicable Diseases; Infections; Malnutrition; Child Nutrition Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Title: Reducing malnutrition and helminthic infectious disease among primary school children
      by the school nurses: School-based non-randomized study in a developing country

      Introduction: Globally, malnutrition alone with the infectious disease a widespread problem
      among primary school (5 to 12 years) children. Infectious diseases such as worm infestations
      are aggravated with nutritional disorders which most often lead to anemia and several
      complications. The prevalence of malnutrition and intestinal worm infestation/ helminthic
      infection is still high and the awareness level of those issues is immensely poor. However,
      there are limited studies that evaluated the impact of increasing health awareness by the
      development of the Health Awareness Program for Primary School Children (HAPSC) which is
      conducted by the experimentally placed school nurse in Bangladesh.

      Objective: To increase health awareness and knowledge towards reducing malnutrition and
      intestinal worm infestation by implement and evaluate the impact of the Health Awareness
      Program for Primary School children (HAPSC) in Bangladesh.

      Methods:

      Design: A prospective, open-label, parallel-group (1:1), cluster non-randomization controlled
      trial (NRCT)

      Site and sample: School children from four primary schools in the rural areas of North Matlab
      at Chandpur district at Chittagong division in Bangladesh.

      Duration: The duration of this study is from August 2021 to March 2024 (32nd months).

      Outcome variables:

      Primary: changes in malnutrition among primary school children. Secondary: Evaluate and
      reduce the prevalence of intestinal worm infestation, increase awareness and knowledge
      regarding malnutritional and intestinal worm infestation, improvement of health behavior
      (eating and hygiene), frequency of school absent days, and health-related quality of life.

      Conclusion: Health education by the health professional in the school setting may be an
      effective method for improving health behavior, and increasing awareness and knowledge levels
      about malnutrition and intestinal worm infestation from early childhood.
    


Intervention name(s): Health Awareness Program TO Reduce Malnutrition and Helminth Infestation among Primary School children
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): This interventional study period started from September 2021 up to September 2022 (13 months) by school nurses to implement HAPSC. After completing four to five months of the educational session the school nurse will collect midline follow-up data and the endline data will be collected at the end of the interventional study. In this period a total of nine months (except annual leave) will be considered an interventional education period. The intervention group will receive one educational session per week every month. School nurses will be assigned for each class to provide health education. Each session will be conducted for a maximum of 45 minutes. The community worker will be assigned to assist the school nurse and they will communicate with the child's parents about their child's healthy nutrition and good hygiene practice. The significance of healthy eating and hygiene behavior for the children will be shared with the child's parents or guardians properly.
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Malnutrition; Intestinal worm infestation; School nurse; Primary school children