KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF PERSONAL HYGIENE AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS
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Background to the Study
Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases (World Health Organization, 2014). According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016) hygiene is an act that can lead to good health and cleanliness such as frequent hand-washing, regular bathing, wearing clean clothes and good practice of environmental hygiene. It is the art of keeping body clean and smelling fresh through proper body hygiene that washes off visible and microscopic dirt and bacteria. Hygiene is a science that deals with the promotion and preservation of health. Park, (2017) defined hygiene as the study and practice of keeping good health especially paying attention to cleanliness with the view to preventing diseases and promoting health; thereby, prolonging life. Lutans, (2014) stated that human environmentally related diseases such as malaria typhoid, diarrhea and dysentery are constant threat to life due to unhygienic practices. Personal hygiene is the act of keeping oneself clean and well groomed. In addition to its social implications, personal hygiene plays an important role in preventing both the spreading and contracting of diseases. Hygiene is very important for living a healthy life free from diseases. Poor hygiene knowledge, attitude and practices and inadequate sanitary conditions play major roles in the increased burden of communicable diseases within developing countries and therefore has negative consequences for child‘s long term overall development. Many diseases spreading from virus, bacteria, and protozoa microorganisms can be prevented, if good hygiene is practiced. Teaching pupils the importance of good hygiene will improve their health for a lifetime (Oyibo, 2012). Personal hygiene which is also referred to as personal care is a public health tool that is used for disease prevention and health promotion in individuals, 2 families and communities. Personal hygiene includes the following: regular washing of the body (bathing), washing hands when necessary, cutting nails, washing clothing, washing hair, brushing teeth, keeping feet clean, caring for gum among others (Oyibo, 2012). According to Postma, Getkate, and Vanwijk, (2014), school pupils are particularly vulnerable to neglect of basic personal hygiene. The consequences in terms of morbidity and mortality are also more severe in them compared to adults. The increased burden of communicable diseases among primary school pupils due to poor knowledge, attitude and practices of personal hygiene and inadequate sanitary conditions remain a concern on the public health agenda in developing countries. The hands are probably the single most important route for transmission of infection in the home and community, as they are often in direct contact with the mouth, nose and conjunctiva of the eyes. They also come in contact with food and water that is consumed. Studies have revealed a strong and consistent causal link between poor hand hygiene and gastrointestinal infection (Ananthakrishnan, Pani, & Nalini,2015). Amongst all the communicable diseases promoted by poor personal hygiene, helminthic infestation contributes the greatest proportion. Although these helminthes can infect all members of a population, the most vulnerable group are school pupils (WHO, 2016). Long-Shan, ., Bao-Jun, Jin-Xiang, Sen-Hai, & Jack,(2015) observed that good personal hygienic practices encouraged through health education has been reported to be associated with low prevalence of communicable diseases in primary school pupils. Personal hygienic practices therefore plays an important role in preventing spread of respiratory infections, helminthiasis, skin infections, eye infections food borne diseases, spread of new 3 pathogens as in epidemics. Certain respiratory infections (common cold, influenza virus infection.) have also been linked to poor personal hygienic practices (WHO, 2012). Hygiene practices are preventive measures to reduce the occurrences of disease and are parts of good personal grooming. Hygiene does not only include personal hygiene related to food, clothing and exercise but also sciences such as engineering, bacteriology, public sanitation and waterworks (Oyibo, 2012). The researcher‘s belief, therefore, affirms the fact that prevention is better than cure. In support of the above, Park (2015), expressed that infectious and parasitic diseases associated with low standards of personal hygiene remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in many developing countries. Bloomfield, Exner, Fara, Scottand and Vander (2017), stressed that positive personal hygiene will prevent water disease such as diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, bilharzias and typhoid. Bloomfield, Aiello, Cookson, O‘Boyle and Larson (2017), stressed that personal hygiene involved those practices performed by an individual to care for one‘s bodily health and wellbeing, through cleanliness. Motivations for personal hygiene practice include reduction of personal illness, healing from personal illness, optimal health and sense of wellbeing, social acceptance and prevention of spread of illness to others. What is considered proper personal hygiene can be cultural – specific and may change over time. Bloomfield, Aiello, Cookson, O‘Boyle, &Larson, (2017) explained further, that other practices that are generally considered proper hygiene include bathing regularly, washing hands regularly especially before handling food, washing scalp hair, keeping hair short or removing hair, wearing lean clothing, brushing one‘s teeth and cutting finger nails, besides other practices. 4 Primary school pupils are in the period of development from one stage to another, from childhood to a larger society. At this period, children are exposed to communicable diseases for being together with many children from a number of communities (Bubenik, 2013). At the stage of primary school, the child encounters a number of infectious diseases and potential handicapping conditions which could have been easily prevented from occurring through proper personal hygiene practice. Therefore, knowledge, attitude and practice of hygiene among target populations are needed to plan and design behavioral interventions.
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