WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Sunil Bhargava*

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Access to clean water is essential for public health, particularly in countries like India wherechallenges related to water quality persist. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of educationalinterventions in enhancing knowledge and promoting preventive practices related to waterborne diseases amongschool children in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was employed, and data werecollected from selected schools in Achrol village, Jaipur. The study included 200 school children and 100 mothers,utilizing structured questionnaires administered before and after the implementation of a structured teachingprogram. Result: The findings revealed that at baseline, 64% of school children had inadequate knowledgeregarding the prevention of waterborne diseases, while only 5.5% demonstrated adequate knowledge. Similarly,50% of the children had inadequate preventive practices, with only 7.5% exhibiting adequate practices. However,post-intervention assessments showed significant improvements in both knowledge and practice scores. Followingthe educational interventions, the proportion of children with adequate knowledge increased to 68%, and thosewith adequate preventive practices rose to 72%. Moreover, a positive correlation (r = 0.91, p < 0.05) was observedbetween knowledge and practice scores, highlighting the importance of education in influencing health behaviors.Conclusion: These results underscore the critical role of educational interventions in enhancing knowledgeacquisition and behavior change among school children. By promoting understanding and fostering positivepractices related to waterborne disease prevention, such interventions have the potential to significantly reduce theburden of waterborne illnesses in communities.

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