Community Health Education and Hygiene Promotion Added to Deworming Among Ethnic Khmer Children in Vietnam

This study evaluated whether adding community health education and household hygiene promotion to supervised deworming could improve soil-transmitted helminth (STH) outcomes and related caregiver and household factors among ethnic Khmer children aged 6-10 years in southern Vietnam. The study used a non-randomized controlled before-and-after design in four communes. Two communes received the intervention and two served as controls. Both groups received a single supervised oral dose of albendazole 400 mg at month 3. The intervention group additionally received a 6-month package of community health education sessions, household hygiene guidance visits, and a community handwashing campaign. The primary outcome was STH positivity at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included species-specific STH positivity, caregiver knowledge, attitudes and practices, and observed household hygiene conditions.