Research Article
Volume 3 Issue 6
Nasrin Sultana Chowdhury*, Evan Akhter Adrita, Husne Jahan, Nurun Nahar Chowdhury and Sadia Khanduker
May 30, 2024
DOI : 10.56831/PSSRP-03-108
Abstract
Background: Personal hygiene deficiency has been found to be a serious public health problem and people often affected are school children. These have been attributed to inadequate knowledge of personal hygiene and its practices. Personal hygiene is the science of healthy livings and embraces all those day to day activities that contribute to health and wellbeing of an individual. The diseases that arise due to deficiency of personal hygiene remain one of the major public health concerns, particularly in developing countries.
Objective: To assess the level of knowledge and practice about personal hygiene among secondary school children.
Methods: This was a Descriptive type of cross-sectional study. It was conducted from July 2023 to September 2023. Data were collected using self-administered structured questionnaire consisting of information about socio-demographic data and information about knowledge and practice about personal hygiene. The data were processed by computer and statistical analysis of data was carried out by using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science). A total of 115 participants participated in the study.
Result: Result showed that among 115 respondents’ majority were in class six and nine (28.7%). Most of the respondents were female (55.7%), 23.7% were 12 years old and all respondents were Muslim.97.4% knew about the relation between personal hygiene and health. Most of them 97.4% take bath every day and 100.0% brush their teeth every day. 78.3% respondents clean hair regularly and most of them 86.1% cut nails every week. Majority 75.7% respondents have the idea about use of clean clothing/undergarments/bed sheets. More than half 60.9% students do not forget to wash hand before having meal/ after defecation. Majority 85.2% respondents drink enough water daily (at least 1.5-2 liter) and most of them 99.1% have idea about the importance of pure drinking water. 93.9% respondents have regular habit of passing stool and urine. Majority 94.8% respondents have the knowledge to take enough vegetables, fruits, water regularly to avoid health problems and 77.4% knew that holding back urine can cause urinary tract infection and holding back of stool can cause constipation.
Conclusion: Personal hygiene is not an isolated behavior; instead it varies from person to person according to different factors. Intervention programs raising the awareness and importance of personal hygiene among school children through coordinated education measures by parents, teachers and media will be helpful to impart these early in life. Attention should be given for the monitoring and evaluating personal hygiene practices among children.
Keywords: Knowledge; practice; personal hygiene
Reference