Using storybooks to enhance health awareness among schoolchildren at risk of TB

A study demonstrates that using storybooks as an educational tool can effectively improve health literacy and behavior in young children, particularly in the context of tuberculosis prevention. By targeting children living with TB patients, the intervention aims at a high-risk group, providing timely and relevant information in an engaging format.

A notable strength of the study is its focus on both knowledge and behavior change—two essential components in disease prevention. The intervention resulted in a substantial increase in both TB knowledge and proper cough etiquette, highlighting the potential of story-based learning to bridge information gaps.

While the lack of a control group limits the robustness of the findings, the significant jump in post-intervention scores and the link between prior information and good practices underscore the value of early education. These findings are especially pertinent in settings where TB remains endemic and household transmission is a major concern.

Moreover, the study’s inclusion of parents as learning facilitators could hint at an added layer of family engagement, although this was not statistically explored. Importantly, the lack of influence from family TB history and home learning culture suggests that the educational material itself may be a stronger determinant of behavior change than environmental background.

Source: Penyami, Y., Angkasa, M.P. and Sumarni, S., 2025. Using storybooks to enhance health awareness among schoolchildren at risk of tuberculosis. Malahayati International Journal of Nursing and Health Science, 7(11), pp.1338-1343.