The effect of activity-supported hand-hygiene and mask-using education on behavior of secondary school students: Wash your hands, wear your mask, do not get COVID-19!

Abstract

Objective: COVID-19 still poses a global threat. Children may develop infections (COVID-19) as they dislike using masks, touch their faces more frequently while using masks, and often take off/on their masks. This quasi-experimental study aimed to examine the effect of education for secondary school students on hand hygiene and mask use. Method: A total of 273 secondary school students were included in the study and were provided with two weeks of education on hand hygiene and mask use, including presentations and practical activities. A Descriptive Information Form, the Hand Hygiene Behavior Form, and the Mask-Wearing Behavior Form were used. The data collection forms were applied before (T1) and one month after (T2) the education. Results: Of the students, 57.5% had previously received education on hand hygiene and 44.3% on correct mask use. The students’ hand hygiene behavior (T1=31.46±5.25, T2=32.90±5.43; t=98.861) and mask-wearing behavior (T1=20.10±4.48, T2=21.38±5.71; t=74.113) total mean score significantly increased after the education. Conclusion: Correct hand hygiene and mask use education, which uses simple and easy-to-use educational materials to appeal to students and allows them to participate in interactive applications, effectively makes students acquire correct hand hygiene and mask use behaviors.