title: The effect of a health communication campaign on compliance with mass drug administration for schistosomiasis control in western Kenya--the SCORE project.
abstract: Compliance with mass drug administration (MDA) can be affected by rumors and mistrust about the drug. Communication campaigns are an effective way to influence attitudes and health behaviors in diverse public health contexts, but there is very little documentation about experiences using health communications in schistosomiasis control programs. A qualitative study was conducted with community health workers (CHWs) as informants to explore the effect of a health communication campaign on their experiences during subsequent praziquantel MDA for schistosomiasis. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated into English where applicable, and analyzed thematically using ATLAS.ti software. According to the CHWs, exposure to mass media messages improved awareness of the MDA, which in turn, led to better treatment compliance. Our findings suggest that communication campaigns influence health behaviors and create awareness of schistosomiasis control interventions, which may ultimately improve praziquantel MDA.
authors.affiliation: Neglected Tropical Diseases Branch, Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Omedo
authors.affiliation: Neglected Tropical Diseases Branch, Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogutu
authors.affiliation: Neglected Tropical Diseases Branch, Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Alphonce
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Awiti
authors.affiliation: Neglected Tropical Diseases Branch, Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Musuva
authors.affiliation: Neglected Tropical Diseases Branch, Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muchiri
authors.affiliation: Neglected Tropical Diseases Branch, Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Susan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.affiliation: Neglected Tropical Diseases Branch, Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia was4@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: W Evan
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Secor
authors.affiliation: Neglected Tropical Diseases Branch, Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mwinzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003150:Community Health Workers; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D058015:Health Communication / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011634:Public Health; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011223:Praziquantel