Improve Hand hygiene in domestic settings.

 

Hand hygiene in domestic settings is associated with a range of socio-demographic factors and behavioral determinants. Studies included in our analysis reported household knowledge, access to water, cultural beliefs and practices, and perceived susceptibility to illnesses as significant predictors of hand hygiene practice (Agaro et al., 2022; Ogutu et al., 2022). For example, Leung et al. (2022) found that while parents had good knowledge of hygiene as a preventative measure, their attitudes and practices did not always translate into hand hygiene actions. This finding emphasizes the need to design programs that go beyond hygiene education and address key determinants to change hygiene behavior. One qualitative study by Sedekia et al. (2022) assessed a WASH intervention on soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection among children. The authors selected 20 households to engage in sessions that promoted various WASH improvement activities. These sessions were targeted to parents/guardians and provided information about STH infection, the role of WASH and STH infection prevention, and steps parents could take at home. Of the 20 households included in this intervention, 18 installed handwashing facilities. However, long-term provision of water and soap was limited, indicating that more sustained engagement may be required to encourage households to ensure these materials are consistently available at the home. In previous research summaries, other successful interventions addressed a range of determinants to improve hand hygiene, considering household needs, level of understanding, beliefs, and socio-cultural norms for positive behavior change.