Effectiveness Evaluation of a Primary School-Based Intervention against Heatwaves in China

Yonghong Li, Bo Sun, Changlin Yang, Xianghua Zhuang, Liancheng Huang, Qingqing Wang, Peng Bi, Yan Wang, Xiaoyuan Yao and Yibin Cheng
Additional contact information
Yonghong Li: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Bo Sun: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Changlin Yang: Dongtai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dongtai 224299, China
Xianghua Zhuang: Dongtai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dongtai 224299, China
Liancheng Huang: Yancheng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Yancheng 224002, China
Qingqing Wang: Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210009, China
Peng Bi: School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Yan Wang: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Xiaoyuan Yao: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Yibin Cheng: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 5, 1-13

Abstract: Background: Evidence of the effectiveness of intervention against extreme heat remains unclear, especially among children, one of the vulnerable populations. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a primary school-based intervention program against heatwave and climate change in China to provide evidence for development of policies for adaptation to climate change. Methods: Two primary schools in Dongtai City, Jiangsu Province, China, were randomly selected as intervention and control schools (CTR registration number: ChiCTR2200056005). Health education was conducted at the intervention school to raise students’ awareness and capability to respond to extreme heat during May to September in 2017. Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of students and their parents at both schools were investigated by questionnaire surveys before and after intervention. The changes in KAP scores after intervention were evaluated using multivariable difference-in-difference (DID) analysis, controlling for age, sex, etc. Results: The scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice of students and their parents increased by 19.9% (95%CI: 16.3%, 23.6%) and 22.5% (95%CI: 17.8%, 27.1%); 9.60% (95%CI: 5.35%, 13.9%) and 7.22% (95%CI: 0.96%, 13.5%); and 9.94% (95%CI: 8.26%, 18.3%) and 5.22% (95%CI: 0.73%, 9.71%), respectively, after intervention. The KAP score changes of boys were slightly higher than those of girls. Older students had higher score changes than younger students. For parents, the higher the education level, the greater the score change, and change in scores was greater in females than in males. All the health education activities in the program were significantly correlated with the changes in KAP scores of primary school students after intervention, especially those curricula with interesting activities and experiential learning approaches. Conclusions: Heat and health education program in primary school was an effective approach to improve cognition and behavior for both students and their parents to better adapt to heatwaves and climate change. The successful experience can be generalized to respond to the increasing extreme weather/climate events in the context of climate change, such as heatwaves, and other emergent occasions or public health education, such as the control and prevention of COVID-19.

Keywords: difference-in-difference analysis; extreme heat; health education; intervention; primary school student (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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