Children and handwashing: Developing a resource to promote health and well-being in low and middle income countries

Date

2019-08-08

Advisors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Health Education Journal

Type

Article

Peer reviewed

Yes

Abstract

Objective: Using a participatory action research (PAR) model, this paper reports on findings from a mixed-methods study which aimed to discover whether specifically developed health education resources (A Germ’s Journey) aid children’s understanding of health-hygiene principles, and how these findings can inform the future development of culturally relevant resources to teach children in low- and middle-income countries about the association between bacteria, handwashing and disease. Design: Educational health-hygiene workshops were conducted at 13 case study sites (n = 651) in collaboration with local organisations in Ahmedabad, India. During Phase 1 of the study, children’s and teacher–trainer workshops were conducted using UK resources. Following suggestions from local teachers, a Gujarati book was co-created and in Phase 2, workshops (using the Gujarati book) were delivered. Methods: Data were collected from children using quasi-experimental methods, using pre-workshop questions, follow-up questions, observations and baseline and post-workshop assessments. Data were collected from teachers using questionnaires. Results: Following teacher–trainer workshops during Phase 1 of the study, 100% of teachers stated that they would use the resources with their pupils in the future. Two months after participating in the workshops, 60%–73% of children knew how germs can cause illness, and 76%–80% knew how to remove germs from hands. When assessed during Phase 2 of the study, 54% of children scored higher after the intervention, showing an increased understanding of microbiology after using the resources. Conclusion: The results indicate that children had an improved understanding of the causes of bacterial disease and the health implications of not using adequate health-hygiene practices. Recommendations for the future development of resources include adopting a PAR model of research, co-creation with end users and working alongside local organisations and participants in order to access ‘hard-to-reach’ areas.

Description

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.

Keywords

Citation

Crosby, S., Laird, K. and Younie, S. (2019) Children and handwashing: Developing a resource to promote health and well-being in low and middle income countries. Health Education Journal,

Rights

Research Institute