HYGIENE BEHAVIOR AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN HARAMAYA DISTRICT, EAST HARARGHE ZONE, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: Poor hygiene behaviors create a serious public health threat to school children. Infectious diseases, one of the major problems faced by school children, are most commonly associated with poor personal hygiene. The primary causes of infections are associated with a lack of water supply, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene behaviors. Poor hygiene behaviors also have an impact on the health and academic performance of school children. The factors associated with it can be complex and interrelated. However, there are gaps in information on hygiene behaviors and associated factors among primary school children in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the hygiene behaviors and factors associated with it among primary school children in the Haramaya district. Objective: To assess the hygiene behaviors and associated factors among primary school children in Haramaya District, East Hararghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia from March 13 to April 14, 2023. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Haramaya District, East Hararghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia among second cycle primary school children. Eight primary schools having a second cycle were selected using a simple random sampling technique from the list of primary schools with a second cycle in the District. A total of 407 school children were selected from the list of students of the selected schools, using simple random sampling. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire and observation checklist, and entered using EpiData version 4.6, then exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Independent variables that had p-value < 0.3 at bivariate analysis were selected and used in multivariable logistic regressions. Finally, variables that had a p-value less than 0.05 at a 95% Confidence Interval were declared as significantly associated with the hygiene behavior of the student. Results: A total of 407 school children were included in the study, of which 259 (63.6%) had positive hygiene behavior. This study showed that living in an urban area (AOR, 3.717; 95%CI 1.223, 11.296), having training on WASH (AOR, 3.821; 95%CI 1.578, 9.257), being membership of WASH club (AOR, 13.422; 95%CI 3.591, 36.227), knowledge on water handling (AOR, 4.015; 95%CI 2.412, 6.683) and knowledge on hand washing (AOR, 4.929; 95%CI 2.982, 8.147) were significantly associated with students‟ hygiene behavior. xiv Conclusion: The finding of this study showed that 63.6% of the school children had positive hygiene behavior. Residence area, having training on WASH, membership of the WASH club, knowledge of water handling and knowledge of hand washing were factors significantly associated with students‟ hygiene behavior. Therefore, intervention needs to improve students‟ knowledge through training on WASH, and establishing and encouraging WASH clubs in the schools to improve the hygiene behavior of the primary school children in the Haramaya district.