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Hand Hygiene Intervention Program on Primary School Students' Health Outcomes and Absenteeism in School

I

Izmir Katip Celebi University

Status

Completed

Conditions

Respiratory Tract; Infection, Upper (Acute)
Absenteeism
Hand Hygiene

Treatments

Behavioral: Classical hand hygiene education
Behavioral: Hand hygiene intervention program developed according to planned behavior theory

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

Details and patient eligibility

About

The most common infections in schools are acute respiratory infections (colds, pharyngitis, influenza and others) and diarrheal diseases. The incidence of these infections may also be an important cause of school absenteeism, leading to negative outcomes in both education and health.

WHO states that handwashing a well-known primary infection control measure, is the most important hygiene measure to prevent the spread of infection when handwashing is done with soap and water. Since behavioral choices that determine lifestyle are made in childhood, it is important that health education in hand hygiene be implemented as early as possible to improve healthy behaviors. In this context, schools are important structures for information and behavior change about water, sanitation and hygiene interventions.

Planned Behavior Theory (PBT) states that intention is the main precursor of behavior. According to the theory, intention is guided by three independent variables (perceived behavior control, attitudes and subjective norms), and intention formation leads to the development of behavior. The theory has been used in a study to improve hand hygiene behavior in health workers, but it has not been used in the literature to improve hygiene behaviors in children.

Researches indicate that students who do not attend school frequently or for a long time have difficulty in mastering the subject described in the lesson and that school absenteeism is an issue that should be emphasized in education. Therefore, hand hygiene has a simultaneous effect that improves both education and health and contributes to a safe and healthy learning environment. The aim of this research is; To test the effect of hand hygiene intervention program based on Planned Behavior Theory on students' health outcomes and school absenteeism.

Full description

The most common infections in schools are acute respiratory infections (colds, pharyngitis, influenza and others) and diarrheal diseases. Acute respiratory infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children and a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries. The incidence of these infections may also be an important cause of school absenteeism, leading to negative outcomes in both education and health.

Improving water, sanitation and hygiene in schools is an important intervention for the healthy development of children. WHO states that handwashing a well-known primary infection control measure, is the most important hygiene measure to prevent the spread of infection when handwashing is done with soap and water. It was found that well-structured and applied handwashing techniques were useful in reducing the incidence of gastro-intestinal and respiratory infections in school children; handwashing with soap reduces respiratory infections in children by 16% - 25%.

In children, unlike adults, it is more likely to give positive behavior because negative hygiene habits are less established and do not have stereotyped and difficult to change habits. Since behavioral choices that determine lifestyle are made in childhood, it is important that health education in hand hygiene be implemented as early as possible to improve healthy behaviors. In this context, schools are important structures for information and behavior change about water, sanitation and hygiene interventions. Hand hygiene initiatives in the school provide multiple gains by enabling children to become hygienic ambassadors in their own homes and gaining the skills they can sustain during the adult period.

Planned Behavior Theory (PBT) states that intention is the main precursor of behavior.

According to the theory, intention is guided by three independent variables (perceived behavior control, attitudes and subjective norms), and intention formation leads to the development of behavior. In a systematic review of 30 studies using PBT in various health interventions, two thirds of studies reported effective behavior change. The theory has been used in a study to improve hand hygiene behavior in health workers, but it has not been used in the literature to improve hygiene behaviors in children.

Researches indicate that students who do not attend school frequently or for a long time have difficulty in mastering the subject described in the lesson and that school absenteeism is an issue that should be emphasized in education. Therefore, hand hygiene has a simultaneous effect that improves both education and health and contributes to a safe and healthy learning environment. The aim of this research is; To test the effect of hand hygiene intervention program based on Planned Behavior Theory on students' health outcomes and school absenteeism.

Enrollment

159 patients

Sex

All

Ages

7 to 11 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • primary school student (especially third and fourth class student)

Exclusion criteria

  • people with chronic disease

Trial design

Primary purpose

Prevention

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Single Blind

159 participants in 2 patient groups

first group
Experimental group
Description:
Hand hygiene intervention program prepared by using planned behavior theory will be applied to the students in this group.
Treatment:
Behavioral: Hand hygiene intervention program developed according to planned behavior theory
second group
Active Comparator group
Description:
Students in this group will be given classic hand hygiene training
Treatment:
Behavioral: Classical hand hygiene education

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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