title: Assessment of a computer-based Taenia solium health education tool 'The Vicious Worm' on knowledge uptake among professionals and their attitudes towards the program.
abstract: Health education has been recognised as a specific intervention tool for control of Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis but evaluation of the efficacy of the tool remains. The aim of our study was to assess the effect of a computer-based T. solium health education tool 'The Vicious Worm' on knowledge uptake among professionals and investigate attitudes towards the program. The study was carried out between March and May 2014 in Mbeya Region, Tanzania, where T. solium is endemic. The study was a pre and post assessment of a health education tool based on questionnaire surveys and focus group discussions to investigate knowledge and attitudes. A total of 79 study subjects participated in the study including study subjects from both health- and agriculture sector. The health education consisted of 1½h individual practice with the computer program. The baseline questionnaire showed an overall knowledge on aspects of acquisition and transmission of T. solium infections (78%), porcine cysticercosis treatment (77%), human tapeworm in general (72%), neurocysticercosis in general (49%), and porcine cysticercosis diagnosis (48%). However, there was a lack of knowledge on acquisition of neurocysticercosis (15%), prevention of T. solium taeniosis/cysticercosis (28%), and relation between porcine cysticercosis, human cysticercosis, and taeniosis (32%). Overall, the study subject's knowledge was significantly improved both immediately after (p=0.001) and two weeks after (p<0.001) the health education and knowledge regarding specific aspects was significantly improved in most aspects immediately after and two weeks after the health education. The focus group discussions showed positive attitudes towards the program and the study subjects found 'The Vicious Worm' efficient, simple, and appealing. The study revealed a good effect of 'The Vicious Worm' suggesting that it could be a useful health education tool, which should be further assessed and thereafter integrated in T. solium taeniosis/cysticercosis control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: rebekka.lund@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rebekka Lund
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Ertel
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Uffe Christian
authors.initials: UC
authors.lastname: Braae
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3021 Morogoro, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Helena Aminiel
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Ngowi
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Maria Vang
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Johansen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000187:drug effects; D013622:Taeniasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013636:Tanzania
keywords: Control tool; Health education; Prevention; Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis; The Vicious Worm