Evaluation on group examination and health education for leprosy in middle school

ObjectiveTo increase the awareness of leprosy in middle school students and find suspect patient timely in middle school students. MethodsA cluster sampling survey was conducted in middle school students, who received health education about leprosy and examination for early symptom of leprosy, and a questionnaire survey was also conducted to compare the students awareness of leprosy and attitude to leprosy before and after the intervention. ResultsOnly 25.96% of the students had heard of leprosy or met leprosy patient. Most students (92.03%) thought it was necessary to conduct group examination and health education for leprosy in middle school, the health education could increase the students awareness of leprosy and change their attitude to leprosy. The proportion of the students discriminating the cured people who had suffered from leprosy declined from 19.34% before intervention to 9.49% after intervention, and the students willing to contact with them as usual increased by 68.09% compared with pre-intervention time. The proportion of the students willing to go to see doctor in local anti-leprosy agency when they were suspected to be infected with leprosy increased from 15.94% before intervention to 22.65% after intervention (I/Isup2/sup=91.60，IP/I0.01), and the proportion of the students who had trusted in luck decreased by 11.64% (I/Isup2/sup=35.11，IP/I0.01). ConclusionMiddle school students are eager to learn new knowledge, so the health education about leprosy could increase their awareness of leprosy and teach them to have a correct attitude to leprosy, and also has the effect of social publicizing, which is favorable for the early finding ofleprosy case.