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Effectiveness of “Hand Hygiene Fun Month” for Kindergarten Children: A Pilot Quasi-Experimental Study

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  • Lorna Kwai Ping Suen

    (Squina International Centre for Infection Control, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong)

  • Janet Pui Lee Cheung

    (Squina International Centre for Infection Control, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong)

Abstract

Early childhood is a formative period during which healthy habits are developed, including proper hand hygiene practices. The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effectiveness of a 4-week series of educational sessions that consider the cognitive developmental stage of children on increasing their knowledge and promoting hand hygiene practices. The intervention group ( n = 33) observed the hand hygiene program, whereas another group served as the waitlist control ( n = 20). Creative activities were planned for the illustration of hand hygiene concepts in terms of “right moments”, “right steps”, and “right duration”. Hand sanitizer coverage was evaluated using a hand scanner. After the intervention, the experimental group had higher knowledge level toward hand hygiene than the control group ( p < 0.001). Significant improvements in hand hygiene performance at the left palm and dorsum ( p < 0.05), right palm ( p < 0.05), and overall hand coverage ( p < 0.05) were observed in the experimental group. The study demonstrated that the knowledge and proper hand hygiene (HH) practice of children can be positively influenced by the use of an age-appropriate education program. The results of this study have implications for school health educators and parents for promoting HH practices among children at home and at the school level.

Suggested Citation

  • Lorna Kwai Ping Suen & Janet Pui Lee Cheung, 2020. "Effectiveness of “Hand Hygiene Fun Month” for Kindergarten Children: A Pilot Quasi-Experimental Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-15, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:19:p:7264-:d:423724
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Balwani Chingatichifwe Mbakaya & Paul H. Lee & Regina L. T. Lee, 2017. "Hand Hygiene Intervention Strategies to Reduce Diarrhoea and Respiratory Infections among Schoolchildren in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-14, April.
    2. Amy J Pickering & Annalise G Blum & Robert F Breiman & Pavani K Ram & Jennifer Davis, 2014. "Video Surveillance Captures Student Hand Hygiene Behavior, Reactivity to Observation, and Peer Influence in Kenyan Primary Schools," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(3), pages 1-7, March.
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