IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i1p304-d1559574.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Education for Improving Awareness and Practices Regarding Hand Hygiene Among Romanian School Children

Author

Listed:
  • Anda-Valentina Trandafir

    (Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
    Research Center in Preventive Medicine, Health Promotion and Sustainable Development, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

  • Lucia Maria Lotrean

    (Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
    Research Center in Preventive Medicine, Health Promotion and Sustainable Development, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. This study aimed to describe the implementation, effect and process evaluation of an educational session focused on promoting hand hygiene among school children within a school-based health education program. Seven schools from Romania participated in a longitudinal study. Children were categorized in two groups: Intervention (participating in a session in which they learnt about the importance of hand hygiene and the technique of handwashing, as part of a comprehensive educational program) and Control (standard education). Data were gathered through confidential questionnaires at baseline (October–November 2019, 880 participants) and follow-up (December 2020–February 2021, 484 participants); 350 children participated in both assessments. Many children consistently practiced handwashing in several situations at both evaluations. At follow-up, both groups had improved several hand hygiene practices; students from the Intervention group showed a higher handwashing frequency after using the toilet and before meals in comparison with the Control group. The majority of students from the intervention group agreed the program helped improving their handwashing behavior; girls and children with parents of lower educational levels tended to have a more favorable opinion. Consistent efforts and reinforcement are necessary for the maintenance of correct hand-washing practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Anda-Valentina Trandafir & Lucia Maria Lotrean, 2025. "Education for Improving Awareness and Practices Regarding Hand Hygiene Among Romanian School Children," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-16, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:1:p:304-:d:1559574
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/1/304/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/1/304/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xuyu Chen & Li Ran & Qing Liu & Qikai Hu & Xueying Du & Xiaodong Tan, 2020. "Hand Hygiene, Mask-Wearing Behaviors and Its Associated Factors during the COVID-19 Epidemic: A Cross-Sectional Study among Primary School Students in Wuhan, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-11, April.
    2. Watson, Julie & Cumming, Oliver & MacDougall, Amy & Czerniewska, Alexandra & Dreibelbis, Robert, 2021. "Effectiveness of behaviour change techniques used in hand hygiene interventions targeting older children – A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).
    3. 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.
    4. Aiello, A.E. & Coulborn, R.M. & Perez, V. & Larson, E.L., 2008. "Effect of hand hygiene on infectious disease risk in the community setting: A meta-analysis," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(8), pages 1372-1381.
    5. Anda-Valentina Trandafir & Maria Fraseniuc & Lucia Maria Lotrean, 2022. "Assessment of Actual Weight, Perceived Weight and Desired Weight of Romanian School Children-Opinions and Practices of Children and Their Parents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-16, March.
    6. Idiano D’Adamo & Cristina Di Carlo & Massimo Gastaldi & Edouard Nicolas Rossi & Antonio Felice Uricchio, 2024. "Economic Performance, Environmental Protection and Social Progress: A Cluster Analysis Comparison towards Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-24, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Khalid M. Khan & Rishika Chakraborty & Stephen Brown & Rasheda Sultana & Alec Colon & Devinder Toor & Pooja Upreti & Banalata Sen, 2021. "Association between Handwashing Behavior and Infectious Diseases among Low-Income Community Children in Urban New Delhi, India: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-14, November.
    2. Berik Toleubekov & Zhanerke Bolatova & Martin Stafström, 2022. "Assessing Access to WASH in Urban Schools during COVID-19 in Kazakhstan: Case Study of Central Kazakhstan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-12, May.
    3. Kevin Lanza & Casey P. Durand & Melody Alcazar & Sierra Ehlers & Kai Zhang & Harold W. Kohl, 2021. "School Parks as a Community Health Resource: Use of Joint-Use Parks by Children before and during COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-14, September.
    4. Jennifer Trudeau & Anna-Maria Aksan & William F. Vásquez, 2018. "Water system unreliability and diarrhea incidence among children in Guatemala," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(2), pages 241-250, March.
    5. Shreya Bhattacharya & Basanta Kumar Das & Aparna Roy & Prateep Kumar Nayak & Avishek Saha & Pranaya Kumar Parida & Lianthuamluaia Lianthuamluaia & Kausik Mondal & Sangeeta Chakraborty, 2024. "Socio-Economic Profile and Vulnerabilities Assessment in Small-Scale Fisheries of Lower Gangetic Flood Plain Wetland: An Initiative Towards Achieving Wetland Ecosystem Sustainability and Community Wel," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-22, November.
    6. Antonio Jesús Ramos-Morcillo & Francisco José Moreno-Martínez & Ana María Hernández Susarte & César Hueso-Montoro & María Ruzafa-Martínez, 2019. "Social Determinants of Health, the Family, and Children’s Personal Hygiene: A Comparative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-15, November.
    7. Christos Nicolaides & Demetris Avraam & Luis Cueto‐Felgueroso & Marta C. González & Ruben Juanes, 2020. "Hand‐Hygiene Mitigation Strategies Against Global Disease Spreading through the Air Transportation Network," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(4), pages 723-740, April.
    8. Leogrande, Angelo & Drago, Carlo & Mallardi, Giulio & Costantiello, Alberto & Magaletti, Nicola, 2024. "Patenting Propensity in Italy: A Machine Learning Approach to Regional Clustering," MPRA Paper 123081, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Yu-E Cha & Yuan-Zheng Fu & Wei Yao, 2021. "Knowledge, Practice of Personal Hygiene, School Sanitation, and Risk Factors of Contracting Diarrhea among Rural Students from Five Western Provinces in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-14, September.
    10. Supa Pengpid & Karl Peltzer, 2020. "Trends of Alcohol Use, Dietary Behaviour, Interpersonal Violence, Mental Health, Oral and Hand Hygiene Behaviour among Adolescents in Lebanon: Cross-Sectional National School Surveys from 2005, 2011 a," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-14, September.
    11. Dingman, Deirdre & Wu, Jingwei & Murphy, Heather M., 2020. "School-based, blacklight handwashing program can improve handwashing quality and knowledge among pre-school aged children," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    12. Woojae Han & Jeong-Soon Yu & Sihun Park & Myung-Soon Kwon, 2021. "A Systematic Review for Effective Preventive Public Education of Respiratory Infection," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-17, April.
    13. Center for Economic and Social & International Food Policy Research Institute & Michigan State University, 2016. "Revitalized Agriculture for Balanced Growth and Resilient Livelihoods: Toward a Rural Development Strategy for Mon State, Myanmar," Food Security International Development Working Papers 249278, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    14. 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.
    15. Francisco González-Gómez & Enrique Lluch-Frechina & Jorge Guardiola, 2013. "Water Habits and Hygiene Education to Prevent Diarrhoeal Diseases: The Zambezi River Basin in Mozambique," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 25(4), pages 563-572.
    16. Hanne C Lie & Leigh W Simmons & Gillian Rhodes, 2009. "Does Genetic Diversity Predict Health in Humans?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(7), pages 1-7, July.
    17. Astrid Hasund Thorseth & Jennifer Lamb & Constancia Vimbayi Mavodza & Mandikudza Tembo & Anesu Petra Mushangari & Eddington Zinyandu & Thomas Heath & Sian White, 2024. "Using Wash’Em to Design Handwashing Programmes for Crisis-Affected Populations in Zimbabwe: A Process Evaluation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(3), pages 1-25, February.
    18. Octavian Augustin Mihalache & Daniela Borda & Corina Neagu & Paula Teixeira & Solveig Langsrud & Anca Ioana Nicolau, 2021. "Efficacy of Removing Bacteria and Organic Dirt from Hands—A Study Based on Bioluminescence Measurements for Evaluation of Hand Hygiene When Cooking," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-13, August.
    19. Calvin Blackwell & Daniela Goya-Tocchetto & Zach Sturman, 2018. "Nudges in the restroom: How hand-washing can be impacted by environmental cues," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 2(2), pages 41-47, September.
    20. Kangguo Li & Jia Rui & Wentao Song & Li Luo & Yunkang Zhao & Huimin Qu & Hong Liu & Hongjie Wei & Ruixin Zhang & Buasiyamu Abudunaibi & Yao Wang & Zecheng Zhou & Tianxin Xiang & Tianmu Chen, 2024. "Temporal shifts in 24 notifiable infectious diseases in China before and during the COVID-19 pandemic," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:1:p:304-:d:1559574. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.