Prevention of mushroom poisoning of children: effectiveness of a community-based school education programme

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Abstract
A community-based multi-method mushroom poisoning prevention programme for young school children was implemented and evaluated in the Krakow region of Poland in the summer of 1992. The aim of the programme was to increase children's ability to identify poisonous mushrooms, to correct misconceptions about the toxicity of mushrooms, and to increase children's intentions not to eat wild mushrooms in situations of uncertainty about their origin and edibility. The programme included a school training package for young school children and a mass-media campaign targeting children and their parents. In a pre-test-post-test design, a sample of 693 children from six schools (two from the city of Krakow, two from towns and two from villages in the vicinity) was involved in the study. After the implementation of the programme, knowledge was strongly increased regarding the characteristics of the most poisonous mushroom (Amanita phalloides) as well as the risk of eating this kind of (laminar) mushroom. The strongest increase in knowledge was found in the youngest age group (6–7 years old) from the villages and towns, and the oldest age group (10–11 years old) from the city. Also a substantial reduction was observed in intentions to eat wild mushrooms in situations of uncertainty about their origin and edibility.

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