Clinical trial NCT04267952: Hand Hygiene Intervention Program on Primary School Students' Health Outcomes and Absenteeism in School
Official title: The Effect of the Theory of Planned Behaviour Based Hand Hygiene Intervention Program on Primary School Students' Health Outcomes and Absenteeism in School
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Respiratory Tract; Infection, Upper (Acute)
Hand Hygiene
Absenteeism
Keywords: Health education
Theory of planned behavior
Primary schools
Lead sponsor: Izmir Katip Celebi University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-02-13
Enrollment: 159
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 7
Maximum age (years): 11
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

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.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

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

Exclusion Criteria:

* people with chronic disease

Primary outcomes:
measure: Group A Streptekok infections in rapid antigen test
timeFrame: Total 20 weeks
measure: Incidence of symptoms of acute upper respiratory tract infection
timeFrame: Total 20 weeks
measure: school absenteeism
timeFrame: Total 20 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Pollution rate of hands
timeFrame: From date of randomization until the date of first documented progression assessed up to 7 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: İzmir
country: Turkey
facility: Gülçin Uyanık
state: Cigli
Study officials:
affiliation: Ege University, Nursing Faculty
name: Şafak Dağhan
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
citation: 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.