Abstract
Introduction: Drowning is a leading cause of injury-related mortality among children and adolescents in many low- and middle-income countries, yet evidence on effective, school-based prevention strategies in community settings remains limited.
Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of a combined school- and community communication–based health education program on adolescents’ knowledge and safe practices regarding drowning prevention in Thai Binh province, Vietnam, using a quasi-experimental design.
Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 12–14-year-old students in Vu Thu District, Thai Binh Province, Vietnam, between September 2022 and September 2023. A total of 2,028 students were enrolled and randomized to an intervention group, which received a multi-component school-and community-based drowning prevention education program, or a control group with usual schooling (979 intervention, 1,049 control). Data on drowning prevention knowledge and practices were collected at baseline and at the 6-month follow-up using a piloted, structured self-reported questionnaire and knowledge and practice scores, and were compared between the two time points.
Results: Among 2,028 adolescents, the 6‑month school- and communication-based program produced larger gains in drowning prevention knowledge in the intervention group than in the control group (median score increase from 6.82 to 8.18 versus 6.36 to 7.27) and substantially greater improvements in self-rescue and bystander response practices (median score increase from 6 to 8 versus no change at 6). Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression confirmed a significant net intervention effect over time, with knowledge scores increasing by 0.746 points (CI: 0.509–0.984; P<0.001) and practice scores by 0.579 points (CI: 0.314–0.845; P<0.001).
Conclusion: The results indicated that a school- and communication-based health education program significantly improved adolescents’ drowning prevention knowledge and safe practices. These findings support integrating structured drowning prevention education into school curricula and community communication platforms to strengthen adolescents’ capacity to prevent and respond to drowning events.