ONE HEALTH KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENT, CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, AND EVALUATION FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

The One Health concept is of critical importance to public health. The One Health concept promotes awareness and understanding of the interconnections among human, animal and environmental health. This study was designed to target middle school students in order to promote the One Health concept and thereby have a long-range impact on their health through education. In the first phase of the study, two Kansas public middle schools were identified as the sites for the research: one on a military base and the other in an affluent suburban community. A sample population of 198 students participated in a One Health Knowledge Assessment to determine their One Health related knowledge in order to have an understanding of their knowledge base. It was found that on average the students responded to 70% of the knowledge assessment questions correctly. In the second phase of the research, a different group of 292 students from the same schools attended a One Health lesson and performed pre-lesson and post-lesson surveys to determine the extent to which they gained knowledge about the One Health concept. The student learning outcome was a mean gain of learning score of g=0.42± 0.09. This study provided information about middle school students’ knowledge of the One Health concept and ability and interest to learn more. This outcome could positively impact the health of these students and their communities.