Examine handwashing knowledge and practices among school children and their caregivers.

 

Educational institutions provide an important context to promote hand hygiene behavior for the next generation. Limitations for hand hygiene support in schools include lack of access to basic handwashing facilities, especially in low and middle-income countries. Multiple studies published in 2022 examined handwashing knowledge and practices among school children and their caregivers. A cross-sectional study by Berhanu et al. (2022) investigated handwashing practices 5 among public primary school children in Ethiopia, finding that only 23.4% of the children reported always washing their hands before eating and only 16.7% reported always washing their hands after using the toilet. Availability of handwashing facilities, grade level, residence, and presence of role models were significantly associated with reported handwashing practices. The findings revealed that students with access to a handwashing facility in their home were 3.62 times more likely to wash their hands compared to their counterparts. Likewise, students in urban areas and students with strong handwashing role models were 3.5 times and 4.41 times more likely to wash their hands respectively. Another study by Steenkamp et al. (2022) examined knowledge and practices related to hand hygiene among caregivers in an early child development center in South Africa. While most caregivers had good knowledge of handwashing, only 40% of caregivers reported washing their hands before feeding the children and only 25% reported washing their hands after changing a child’s diaper. These findings indicate the need for interventions to improve handwashing practices among caregivers in early child development centers and corroborates the implications from Leung et al.(2022) (under Domestic Settings) to consider a range of determinants beyond existing knowledge when designing a program. A study by Lange et al. (2022) tested the effect of a simple hand hygiene intervention on the behavior and practices of parents and preschool children in South Africa. The intervention used GloGerm to show kids how hand hygiene prevents the spread of germs, while parents received a packet and health messages related to their child’s hand hygiene activities at school. Through this intervention, the authors found that parents reportedly made the small changes necessary to improve overall hand hygiene for themselves and their family. This study highlights the importance of interventions including not only the child but also the caregiver or parent to improve hand hygiene in educational settings.