| dc.description.abstract | The purpose for this study was to investigate
what role schools play in the dissemination of health
knowledge to a rural community.
It attempted to understand the relationship between
modified health teaching methods and the level of health
knowledge of the household head, and also the relationship
between the sex and the level of education of the
school child and the level of health knowledge of the
household heads.
A sample of 120 school girls and 120 school boys
from three levels of education was randomly selected
from 2 primary and 2 secondary schools, which are
situated in Matungulu and Mbiuni locations of Machakos
district. Matungulu location was selected as the
experimental area and ~fuiuni as the control.
Pretest data was collected from all the children
of the study sample and their household heads. Health
Education was then given to sixty girls and sixty boys
from one primary and one secondary school in Matungulu
location; while the other sixty boys and sixty girls
from Mbiuni location served as the control group.After a period of six months, posttest data was
collected from all the school children in the study
sample and their household heads.
Between the pretest and posttest periods, there
was a 4 per cent and 8 per cent change in the health
knowledge levels of the household heads of the control
and experimental groups respectively.
No relationship was found between the sex of the
child and the health knowledge levels of the household
heads of both groups. There was a relationship between
the level of education of the child and the health
knowledge levels of the household heads.
The advantages and weaknesses of the improved
health teaching methods used in this study, as well as
the revealed communication patterns between children
and the family key persons as they are affected by the
sex and level of education of the child; can be used as
guidelines in the planning and implementation of
community health education programmes, and especially
for rural communities. | en |
