Effects of a Health Behavior Modification Program on Liver Fluke Disease Prevention in Risk Groups Kham Ta Kla District, Sakon Nakhon Province

Abstract

The objectives of this two-group quasi-experimental, pre- and post-test design, applying a health belief model were to develop and evaluate a health behavior modification program for liver fluke prevention in at risk groups in Kham Ta Kla District, Sakon Nakhon Province. Samples consisted of 72 liver fluke at-risk individuals aged 40-59 years in Kham Ta Kla District Sakon Nakhon Province, divided into an experimental group and a comparison group, 36 individuals per group, using a multistage random sampling technique. Intervention was an 8-week liver fluke prevention behavior modification program for at-risk groups. Questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, min, max, means, standard deviations, medians and interquartile range. Inferential statistics used were Wilcoxon signed-rank test within the experimental group and Mann-Whitney U test for between groups, with a significance level set at 0.05.

Results showed the comparison within the experimental group before and after the experiment: perceived risk opportunities (z=-4.499, p<0.001), effect size=0.75; perceived severity (z=-5.040, p<0.001), effect size=0.84; perceived benefits of disease prevention and treatments (z=-3.911, p<0.001), effect size=0.65; perceived barriers (z=-3.738, p<0.001), effect size=0.62; and disease prevention behaviors (z=-4.379, p<0.001) effect size=0.73; all were significantly different at the p=0.05 level with large effect sizes. The results from the study showed that a health behavior modification program was effective in increasing awareness and disease prevention behaviors. The program should be applied in other areas with liver fluke risk groups.