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

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Respiratory Tract; Infection, Upper (Acute); Absenteeism; Hand Hygiene
• Interventions: Behavioral: Hand hygiene intervention program developed according to planned behavior theory; Behavioral: Classical hand hygiene education

• Registration Number: NCT04267952
• Lead Sponsor: Izmir Katip Celebi University

Brief Summary

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.

Detailed 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.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2019-09-09
• Study First Submitted: 2019-12-21
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-02-11
• Study First Posted: 2020-02-13
• Primary Completion: 2020-06-29
• Study Completion: 2020-06-29
• Status Verified: 2020-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-07-28
• Last Update Posted: 2020-07-29

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 159

Inclusion Criteria

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

Exclusion Criteria

• people with chronic disease

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

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

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Group A Streptekok infections in rapid antigen test	Total 20 weeks	Children with symptoms of infection will be referred to the family physician to have a rapid antigen test and to report the result to the researcher.
Incidence of symptoms of acute upper respiratory tract infection	Total 20 weeks	Ten identified upper respiratory tract symptoms (fever, sore throat, runny nose, etc.) will be recorded weekly by family of children. The researcher will receive symptom information from the family via weekly sms
school absenteeism	Total 20 weeks	The number of days the child does not attend school due to illness and the percentage of absenteeism

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pollution rate of hands	From date of randomization until the date of first documented progression assessed up to 7 months	Glogerm gel applied hands will shine areas containing microorganisms. Contamination rate will be calculated by taking the photo of the hands and performing brightness analysis in adobe photoshop program.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Gülçin Uyanık; 🇹🇷 İzmir, Cigli, Turkey