The Effects of Water Education Program of High School Students: 8 Months Experimental Study

J Health Info Stat > Volume 36(1); 2011 > Article

J Health Info Stat 2011;36(1):25-38.

Yon Ho Jee , Dock Won Son , Da Seul Kim

ABSTRACT

Objectives:
Water is essential to human body. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of water education by analyzing differences in knowledge of water on human body, attitudes, and behaviors before and after water education.
Methods:
The study subjects included 138 girls (4 classes) from Yale Girls` High School, Seoul, Korea. Self-administered questionnaires were completed three times: prior to water education, at 1 week and at 8 months after water education. Water education was delivered using videos and PowerPoint slides over a period of 3 days. Changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards water scarcity before and after water education were analyzed by Chi-square and t-tests.
Results:
Compared to the control group, the experimental group found to have greater knowledge of water and a better understanding of the effects of water on the human body. Changes in knowledge (p = 0.008) and attitude (p = 0.041) towards water remained at a significant level 8 months after water education; however, no changes were found in behavior towards water scarcity after water education.
Conclusions:
The water education program effectively improved the knowledge and attitudes towards water scarcity during a short period of time. Further studies are needed to determine long-term effects of water education using a large number of study subjects.

Key words: Water, Health, Education, Knowledge, Attitudes, Adolescents