Background & Aims: School age children are more susceptible for intestinal parasitic infections in comparison with others. The best way to prevent these diseases and reduce morbidity in students is increasing students' knowledge, changing their attitude and behavior. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of health education on preventing giardiasis among primary schools students in the suburbs of Khoy.

  Materials & Methods: In this randomized quasi-experimental study, 300 students were randomly selected from primary schools and their feces were tested for giardia lamblia. After treatment by suitable drugs the infected patients were divided into two equal groups of intervention and control. Educational program was implemented on the intervention group, but the control group received no instruction. One and a half months after education the two groups were tested and compared in terms of re-infection. Data collecting tools including a valid and reliable questionnaire, behavior checklist, and stool exam, and data were collected before and after the training. Study data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS software.

  Results : The mean age for both groups of students was 10.95±0.97. In the intervention group, before education the mean score of knowledge and attitude of students towards giardiasis were 9.3±2.85 and 12.75±2.68, respectively (p>0.05), but after education those changed to 18.7±1.73 and 19.33±1.82 (p<0.001). In intervention group, before education the percentage of students' health behavior was 24.4, after training it increased to %82.6 (p<0.001). But in the control group, before and after education there was no significant changes in knowledge, attitude and behavior of students (p>0.05). After training, the results revealed that 2.8% of the intervention group and 33.33% of controls had re-infection with Giardia lamblia.

  Conclusion : The best strategy for the prevention of parasitic infections is raising awareness, changing attitudes and health behaviors of students toward these diseases. With regard to preventing parasitic infections, school health teachers have an important role in training school children and their families.

  SOURCE: URMIA MED J 2014: 25(5): 413 ISSN: 1027-3727