title: Short- and long-term impact of health education in improving water supply, sanitation and knowledge about intestinal helminths in rural Bangladesh.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the long-term impact of health education in intestinal helminth infection control in rural Bangladesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal study to compare knowledge, awareness and practice for intestinal helminths between four communities: two receiving health education and two not receiving health education.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents of 1497 children aged between 2 and 8 years [781 (52.2%) received health education] were investigated by interview at baseline, endline (18 months) and follow-up (5 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Health education had a significant effect on the installment of tubewells and latrines, but only had a temporary effect on health knowledge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This long-term follow-up study showed the lack of sustainability of knowledge and awareness in the long-term after health education interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan. may20@kumamoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minamoto
authors.forename: C G N
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Mascie-Taylor
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karim
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moji
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D012424:Rural Population; D012499:Sanitation / Q000592:standards*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards*