Abstract
Background: this study investigated factors influencing hand washing practice with special focus to educational factors, socioeconomic factors and cultural factors influencing hand washing practice among primary school children attending at Altadamun School, Mogadishu-Somalia. Factors the main objective of this study is factors influencing hand washing practice remain a major problem in developing hygiene related diseases among primary school children. Methods: the study employed descriptive approach and sought to cover the descriptive elements of the research process. Data collected using questionnaire, and SPSS statistical software version 16 was used to analyze the dataset whereby total of 184 respondents selected from primary School children attending at Altadamun School were participated in this study. Results: this study presents critical analysis of the involvement of factors influencing hand washing practice among primary School children Mogadishu-Somalia. The findings of the study revealed that awareness of the respondents about hand washing practice was very low due to lack of education about the importance of hand washing and cultural influences. The findings from objective one of this study implies other findings that revealed lack of education of pupils about hand washing practice increases their risk of becoming exposed to hygiene diseases. According to the second objective of this study, findings from the result in Tables 12, 13 and 9 showed that all the respondents never washed their hands while at School. This finding still agrees with Piney, Jamison and others (2000). In view of the fact, based on the finding from the result of the analysis in Tables 16, 17 and 18 respectively indicated that all the respondents were not often washed their hands with soap before eating food. This finding agrees with the Rosen, UNICEF and others in the 2007 findings from the study carried out Grange school in Nigeria. Conclusion: this study recommends that there is a need for water, sanitation and hygiene lessons in school curriculum to be taught at schools, sitting up hand washing facilities in all public and private schools as well as cultural change through community awareness.
Highlights
The increased burden of communicable diseases among school children due to poor personal hygiene practices and inadequate sanitary conditions remains a concern on the public health agenda in developing countries [1]
Worldwide about 400 million children are infected with worms due to poor hand washing practices
Hand washing practice depends on the knowledge acquired concerning the practice; most schools have lessons on hygiene issues and the leading to a height rate of awareness among children
Summary
The increased burden of communicable diseases among school children due to poor personal hygiene practices and inadequate sanitary conditions remains a concern on the public health agenda in developing countries [1]. Worldwide about 400 million children are infected with worms due to poor hand washing practices. Knowledge of importance of hygiene: The provision of knowledge of safe water and sanitation hygiene in schools is the first step towards a healthy physical learning environment, benefiting both learning and health For this reason, pupils reduce their risk of becoming exposed to diseases when they are empowered with appropriate knowledge of water sanitation hygiene and provided with suitable facilities. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. Ash is a disinfecting agent (soluble), WHO prescribed debris or sand as an alternative to soap when soap is not available [12]
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