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1.0 INTRODUCTION

Poor attitudes towards hygiene practice among high school children are a matter that requires serious urgency by the public health agencies. It is already known that the prevalence of improper hygiene practice is high among school children in developing countries (Pradhan et al., 2020). Hence, communicable diseases are highly prevalent in these nations (Pradhan et al., 2020). Communicable diseases have a great proportion in increasing mortality and morbidity rate in the world (Temitayo, 2016). In Africa, about 62% of deaths are attributed to infectious diseases. Sickness and deaths among children in developing nations have been greatly attributed to respiratory and intestinal infections (McMichael, 2019; Che Salleh et al., 2019). Studies have shown that the disease burden of communicable diseases is greatly associated with inadequate and poor attitudes towards good hygiene practices (Temitayo, 2016). 

The World Health Organization has predicted that over five million deaths of children under the age of five by 2025 and about 97% will occur in developing nations  (Kehinde & Umar, 2018). Diarrhea is among the disease burden that will likely lead to an increased mortality rate in children. Inadequate water and proper sanitation along with poor breastfeeding are the major causes of diarrhea diseases (Kehinde & Umar, 2018). To reduce the morbidity and mortality rate of these diseases, it is important to instill good hygiene practices, and attitudes associated with it among children in a developing nation, to help achieve Sustainable Developmental Goals by 2030 (Kehinde Peter & Umar, 2018).

One important factor affecting hygiene levels in this region of the world has been attributed to inadequate resources for water, sanitation, and hygiene (Seidu et al., 2021). Another contributory factor is poor healthcare systems in developing countries (Pradhan et al., 2020). The resultant effect of this situation is that the school children become susceptible to different diseases and probably become sick, which leads to becoming absent from school and poor academic performance (Pradhan et al., 2020).  Poor knowledge and awareness of good hygiene practice is another contributory factor to the adoption and practice of personal hygiene among school children (Pradhan et al., 2020). Other contributory factors to inappropriate behavior towards hygiene include socioeconomic factors, school environment, inadequate infrastructure for good personal hygiene, and health promotion (Pradhan et al., 2020). Improper waste management in the school environment is one of the factors predisposing school children to communicable diseases, as this was shown in on Nigerian study that about 60 percent of children were dissatisfied due to improper dumping of refuse in the school environment (Pradhan et al., 2020). In another study students who have adequate knowledge about personal hygiene were not able to practice due to a lack of infrastructure for washing, hygiene, and sanitation in their school environments (Pradhan et al., 2020). However, studies have shown that appropriate health behavior towards hygiene practice is very effective prevents communicable diseases, such as diarrhea and several others (Seidu et al., 2021).

Personal hygiene can be defined as any practice that enables an individual to maintain cleanliness and live healthy (Temitayo, 2016).  Hygiene also involves regular handwashing with soap and water. It also teeth brushing to maintain oral health, engaging in regular exercise, nail cutting, and bathing with soap and water (Seidu et al., 2021; Temitayo, 2016). Good hygiene also involves the prevention of anything that can be harmful to our health (Temitayo, 2016). Oral hygiene behavior can be determined by gender (mostly male), poor socioeconomic status, living in rural communities, use of alcohol and tobacco smoking, poor exercise habit and poor dieting have been reported by several studies, in developing countries among adolescents (Seidu et al., 2021). These behaviors also affect their overall body health (Seidu et al., 2021; Asante et al., 2017).  

The two most common diseases of poor hygiene are diarrhea and respiratory diseases (Pradhan et al., 2020). Studies have attributed diarrhea disease in adults to poor hygiene behavior during childhood (Pradhan et al., 2020). Another infection that affects school children is helminthic infection (Pradhan et al., 2020). One comparative study reported a very high prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis among school children (Genet et al., 2021). The study also suggested that focus should be directed on lifestyle behavioral factors to curb the problems associated with poor hygiene (Genet et al., 2021). Children that frequently become ill due to inappropriate hygiene practices are usually malnourished, which affects their physical and cognitive development (Pradhan et al., 2020).

Several studies have reported different strategies that can help improve personal hygiene practice among school children and adolescents (Pradhan et al., 2020). One of the strategies is using school-based interventional studies to enhance the practice of personal hygiene among school children. Evidence of this was shown in a Nigerian study, where personal hygiene practice among school children improved after a health education program was carried out (Pradhan et al., 2020). Another example is a study in Bangladesh that showed that oral health among school children was significantly improved (Pradhan et al., 2020). However, a study by Eshetu et al. showed that inculcating the benefits of personal hygiene practice will improve the health behavior of children rather than awareness and knowledge (Eshetu et al., 2020). This is because, their study among children aged from 12-to 15 who are aware and have good knowledge of personal hygiene, but the practice turned out to be very poor (Eshetu et al., 2020). Therefore, it is important to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with hygiene behaviors among school children in a developing country.

1.1 AIM

• To determine the prevalence and factors associated with hygiene behavior among school children in a developing country

1.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• To assess the knowledge personal hygiene of children in some selected schools in a developing country
• To assess the level of hygiene practices among children in some selected schools in a developing country
• To determine the factors affecting good hygiene practices among children in some selected schools in a developing country

1.3 RESEARCH PROBLEM

The World Health Organization has predicted that over five million deaths of children under the age of five by 2025, and about 97% will occur in developing nations  (Kehinde & Umar, 2018). Diarrhea, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and respiratory infections are among the disease burden that will likely lead to the increased mortality rate in children (Eshetu et al., 2020). Poor hygiene knowledge, behaviors, and practice have been attributed to these diseases (Eshetu et al., 2020; Kehinde & Umar, 2018). Therefore, it is important to study the prevalence and factors associated with hygiene behaviors among school children in a developing country.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• Do children in some selected schools in a developing country know about personal hygiene?
• Do children in some selected schools in a developing country practice personal hygiene?
• What are the behavioral factors affecting good hygiene practices among children in some selected schools in a developing country?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

This study is very important because evidence exists where personal hygiene practice among school children improved after a health education program was carried out (Pradhan et al., 2020). It has also been reported that children become ill due to inappropriate hygiene practices, which affect their physical and cognitive development (Pradhan et al., 2020). In addition, another study showed that inculcating the benefits of personal hygiene practice will improve the hygiene behavior of children rather than awareness and knowledge (Eshetu et al., 2020). There are limited studies on factors associated with hygiene behavior. Another reason is that this study will help reduce the morbidity and mortality rate of these communicable diseases, by providing information on the prevalence level and practice among school children, which will help the developing nation, to help achieve Sustainable Developmental Goals by 2030 (Kehinde Peter & Umar, 2018).

1.6 METHODOLOGY

• Study design/Sampling/Collection

This will be a cross-sectional study among school children in some selected schools in a developing country. A pretested structured questionnaire will be used to collect all relevant information using simple random sampling.

1.7 ANALYSIS

Collected data from the questionnaire will be entered into SPSS version 20 for analysis. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval will be used to assess statistically significant variables (p<0.05).

1.8 RISK ASSESSMENT

The risk assessment conducted for this project is provided in the table below:

Table 1:  Risk assessment

1.9 SCHEDULE

    Table 2: Project Plan

REFERENCES

Asante, K.O., Kugbey, N., Osafo, J., Quarshie, E.N.-B. & Sarfo, J.O. (2017) The prevalence and correlates of suicidal behaviors (ideation, plan, and attempt) among adolescents in senior high schools in Ghana. SSM Popul. Health 2017, 3, 427–434.

Che Salleh, N., Mohamad Anuar, M.F., Abdullah, N.A., Yaw, S.L., Ibrahim Wong, N., Teck Pei, T., Awaluddin, S.M. & Aris, T. (2019) Prevalence and Factors AssociatedWith Oral and Hand Hygiene Practices Among Adolescents in Malaysia: Findings From the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2017. Asia Pac. J. Public Health 31, 97S–104S.

Eshetu, D., Kifle, T., & Hirigo, A. T. (2020). Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of handwashing among aderash primary schoolchildren in Yirgalem Town, Southern Ethiopia. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 13, 759–768. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S257034

Genet, A., Motbainor, A., Samuel, T., & Azage, M. (2021). Prevalence and associated factors of soil-transmitted helminthiasis among school-age children in wetland and non-wetland areas of Blue Nile Basins, northwest Ethiopia: A community-based comparative study. SAGE Open Medicine, 9, 205031212110633. https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121211063354

Kehinde Peter, A., & Umar, U. (2018). Combating diarrhea in Nigeria: the way forward. Journal of Microbiology & Experimentation, 6(4). https://doi.org/10.15406/jmen.2018.06.00213

McMichael, C. (2019) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools in Low-Income Countries: A Review of Evidence of Impact. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 16, 359

Pradhan, N. A., Mughis, W., Ali, T. S., Naseem, M., & Karmaliani, R. (2020). School-based interventions to promote personal and environmental hygiene practices among children in Pakistan: Protocol for a mixed-methods study. BMC Public Health, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08511-0

Seidu, A.-A., Amu, H., Salihu, T., Hagan, J. E., Agbaglo, E., Amoah, A., Abodey, E., Boateng, M. A., & Ahinkorah, B. O. (2021). Prevalence and Factors Associated with Hygiene Behaviours among In-School Adolescents in Ghana. J, 4(2), 169–181. https://doi.org/10.3390/j4020014

Temitayo I. O. (2016). Knowledge and Practices of Personal Hygiene among Senior Secondary School Practices of Personal Hygiene View Project Knowledge and Practices Of Food Safety Among Senior Secondary School Students of International School, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria View project Knowledge and Practices of Personal Hygiene among Senior Secondary School Students of Ambassadors College, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. In Texila International Journal of Public Health (Vol. 4, Issue 4). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315800488

Last updated: Feb 04, 2022 04:58 PM