Approaches to Increase Arsenic Awareness in Bangladesh: An Evaluation of an Arsenic Education Program

Autor/inn/en	George, Christine Marie; Factor-Litvak, Pam; Khan, Khalid; Islam, Tariqul; Singha, Ashit; Moon-Howard, Joyce; van Geen, Alexander; Graziano, Joseph H.
Titel	Approaches to Increase Arsenic Awareness in Bangladesh: An Evaluation of an Arsenic Education Program
Quelle	In: Health Education & Behavior, 40 (2013) 3, S.331-338 (8 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1090-1981
DOI	10.1177/1090198112454735
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Water; Poisoning; Intervention; Pretests Posttests; Adults; Females; Comparative Analysis; Misconceptions; Health Education; Health Behavior; Surveys; Regression (Statistics); Consciousness Raising; Knowledge Level; Program Effectiveness; Rural Areas; Individual Characteristics; Bangladesh + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Wasser; Weibliches Geschlecht; Missverständnis; Gesundheitsaufklärung; Gesundheitsbildung; Gesundheitserziehung; Health behaviour; Gesundheitsverhalten; Survey; Umfrage; Befragung; Regression; Regressionsanalyse; Bewusstseinsbildung; Wissensbasis; Rural area; Ländlicher Raum; Personality characteristic; Personality traits; Persönlichkeitsmerkmal; Bangladesch
Abstract	The objective of this study was to design and evaluate a household-level arsenic education and well water arsenic testing intervention to increase arsenic awareness in Bangladesh. The authors randomly selected 1,000 study respondents located in 20 villages in Singair, Bangladesh. The main outcome was the change in knowledge of arsenic from baseline to follow-up 4 to 6 months after the household received the intervention. This was assessed through a pre- and post-intervention quiz concerning knowledge of arsenic. Respondents were between 18 and 102 years of age, with an average age of 37 years; 99.9% were female. The knowledge of arsenic quiz scores for study participants were significantly higher at follow-up compared with baseline. The intervention was effective in increasing awareness of the safe uses of arsenic-contaminated water and dispelling the misconception that boiling water removes arsenic. At follow-up, nearly all respondents were able to correctly identify the meaning of a red (contaminated) and green (arsenic safe) well relative to arsenic (99%). The educational program also significantly increased the proportion of respondents who were able to correctly identify the health implications of arsenic exposure. However, the intervention was not effective in dispelling the misconceptions in the population that arsenicosis is contagious and that illnesses such as cholera, diarrhea, and vomiting could be caused by arsenic. Further research is needed to develop effective communication strategies to dispel these misconceptions. This study demonstrates that a household-level arsenic educational program can be used to significantly increase arsenic awareness in Bangladesh. (Contains 4 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10