The effect of education on the knowledge of environmental threats on health in students of elementary schools in Bushehr port

More than one fourth of diseases around the world are caused by environmental threats. These threats have multifactorial effects on children's health. So, it needs collaboration between teachers, parents, students, and public health authorities to decrease them and improve health. A total of 18 primary schools were selected using random cluster sampling. After a need assessment analysis about environmental threads, the 3rd and 4th degree students of selected primary schools were invited to draw posters about air pollution, water sanitation, food contamination, natural disaster, solid waste pollution, and sea and beach pollution. Then, a booklet based on the initial need assessment about environmental threads was designed and used for a six weeks educational course. The students drew a second poster after the educational course taught by their teachers. The posters were scored for technical aspects and health concepts by independent examiners. The mean score of student's knowledge about environmental threads increased after intervention (P<0.05). There was no difference between 4th graders and 5th graders, but girls showed a higher score than boys. In primary schools, booklet-based education was effective in promotion of the student's knowledge about environmental threads on health. Therefore, a booklet-based education, designed according to local need assessments, is recommended as a complementary education in primary schools.