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

NCT ID: NCT04267952

Last Updated: 2020-07-29

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 159 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-09-09
• Study Completion Date: 2020-06-29

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.

Conditions

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

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

first group

Hand hygiene intervention program prepared by using planned behavior theory will be applied to the students in this group.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Hand hygiene intervention program developed according to planned behavior theory

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The perception of the importance of hand hygiene with expression of damages of microorganisms (stories about illnesses etc.). Visually assisted hand hygiene training experiments to ensure the visibility of microorganisms in the environment. Demonstration and application of the correct hand washing technique with music. All applications will take place in three lessons (120-minute).

second group

Students in this group will be given classic hand hygiene training

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Classical hand hygiene education

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

expression of hand hygiene with verbal presentation method in a 40-minute lecture

Interventions

Hand hygiene intervention program developed according to planned behavior theory

The perception of the importance of hand hygiene with expression of damages of microorganisms (stories about illnesses etc.). Visually assisted hand hygiene training experiments to ensure the visibility of microorganisms in the environment. Demonstration and application of the correct hand washing technique with music. All applications will take place in three lessons (120-minute).

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Classical hand hygiene education

expression of hand hygiene with verbal presentation method in a 40-minute lecture

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

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

Exclusion Criteria

• people with chronic disease

• Minimum Eligible Age: 7 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 11 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Izmir Katip Celebi University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Gulcin Uyanık

Research Assistant

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Şafak Dağhan

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Ege University, Nursing Faculty

Locations

Gülçin Uyanık

Izmir, Cigli, Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

References

Tai JW, Mok ES, Ching PT, Seto WH, Pittet D. Nurses and physicians' perceptions of the importance and impact of healthcare-associated infections and hand hygiene: a multi-center exploratory study in Hong Kong. Infection. 2009 Aug;37(4):320-33. doi: 10.1007/s15010-009-8245-x. Epub 2009 Jul 27.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 19636497 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

509055

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id