Effectiveness Evaluation of the "Mosquito-Free Campus" Initiative on Dengue Fever Prevention and Control: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Dengue is one of the fastest spreading mosquito-borne infectious diseases in the world. Guangdong, as the core epidemic area of dengue fever in China, has experienced many large outbreaks of dengue in history due to its warm and humid climate, dense urbanization, and frequent communication with Southeast Asia. However, prevention and control measures in schools remains suboptimal. This study aims to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of dengue prevention and control among students, and reduce the density of mosquito vectors and the risk of dengue transmission in primary and middle schools. Methods and analysis: This cluster randomized controlled trial will enroll 3940 students from 20 primary and middle schools in Guangzhou and Foshan City, China. Schools will be randomized to an intervention group receiving dengue health education and environmental governance or a control group receiving routine health education. The primary outcome is scores of KAP of students. Secondary outcomes include environmental mosquito vector index. Data will be collected through questionnaires, campus environment inspection, and self-reports at baseline and study conclusion. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval has been sought from the Ethics Committee of the School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University. Findings from the study will be made accessible to key stakeholders.