Abstract
BackgroundPoor school sanitation and hygiene is a major problem in developing countries and remains high risk behaviour among primary school going children. Many outbreaks of gastrointestinal infections have been associated with primary schools. This research paper was designed to assess the factors influencing hygiene behaviour among school children.MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted in Mereb-Leke District, Tigray National Regional State among school children. The study population consisted of those who are in the second cycle as they are more mature and most senior in primary schools. A multi-stage probability sampling procedure with three stages was used to select participated schools. A total of 528 school children were randomly selected from students networking list of selected schools. Structured questionnaire and observational checklist at home and school setting were used to collect data.Statistical analysis was done using SPSS Version 17.0 after the data has been entered using Epi-Info version 3.5.3. Primarily variables that had p-value <0.2 at bivariate analysis were used to develop logistic model to identify factors influencing hygiene behaviour via crude and adjusted odds ratio.ResultsChildren were grouped according to whether positive or negative hygiene behaviour outcome which permitted identifying factor affecting hygiene behaviour. Out of these, 326 (61.7%) had positive hygiene behaviour. The study found that knowledge s on water handling (AOR, 2.24; 95% CI 1.54, 3.26), hand washing (AOR, 1.70; 95% CI 1.12, 2.57) and awareness on water handling matters (AOR, 2.0; 95% CI 1.37, 2.90), hand washing practice (AOR, 2.36; 95% CI 1.62, 3.45) were significantly associated to hygiene behaviour status.Being a member of hygiene and sanitation club (COR 0.42; 95% CI 0.26, 0.68), parent’s health package status (COR 0.62; 95% CI 0.43, 0.90), training on hygiene and sanitation and experience of visiting model school (COR 1.99; 95% CI 1.37, 2.88) had significance difference in hygiene behaviour.ConclusionThis study has shown that knowledge, awareness, training on hygiene and sanitation, being a member of hygiene and sanitation club, experience of visiting model school, and parent’s health package status were factors influenced hygiene behaviour.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-1000) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Poor school sanitation and hygiene is a major problem in developing countries and remains high risk behaviour among primary school going children
According to the criteria defined in the method part, Children were grouped whether positive or negative hygiene behaviour outcome which permits to identify factor affecting hygiene behaviour
The likelihood that a child who is knowledgeable on water handling issues 2.24 times (AOR, 2.24; 95% CI 1.54, 3.26) is more likely to have positive hygiene behaviour compare those who are not knowledgeable while hand washing matters 1.7times (AOR, 1.70; 95% CI 1.12, 2.57) more likely
Summary
Poor school sanitation and hygiene is a major problem in developing countries and remains high risk behaviour among primary school going children. This research paper was designed to assess the factors influencing hygiene behaviour among school children. Impact on disease burden due to inadequate and unsafe water, lack of sanitation and poor hygiene behaviour is a complex issue [1]. Poor hygiene behaviour is a major problem in developing countries [5]. Hygiene and sanitation related Diseases are a huge burden in developing countries; Causing many people to fall ill even to die [2], Schools have repeatedly been implicated in the spread of gastrointestinal disease, High among primary school going children [5,6,7,8,9]. Among children for whom mainly positive hygiene behaviour was recorded, the prevalence of diarrhoea was 6.4 days per child-year, while it was 14.2 days per child year in children with mainly negative scores [11]
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