Improving Hand Hygiene Knowledge Through Structured Teaching Among Primary School Students in Gulhariya, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Background: Hand hygiene is a basic preventive practice that can interrupt the spread of infectious agents in schools and communities. Primary school children are an important population for health education because hygiene habits are formed during childhood. The present study evaluated whether a structured teaching programme could improve knowledge regarding hand hygiene among primary school students in Gulhariya, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Methods: A pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design was used. Forty primary school students were selected through purposive sampling. Baseline information was obtained using a structured knowledge questionnaire. A structured teaching programme covering the meaning and importance of hand hygiene, indications for handwashing, hand-hygiene methods, steps of handwashing, materials required and infection prevention was delivered using lecture, demonstration and audio-visual aids for approximately 30–40 minutes. A post-test was conducted seven days later. Descriptive statistics, a paired t-test, and chi-square analysis were used according to the study plan.

Results: Before the intervention, 29 students (72.5%) had inadequate knowledge and 11 (27.5%) had moderate knowledge; no participant had adequate knowledge. Following the programme, 20 students (50%) had moderate knowledge and 20 (50%) had adequate knowledge, with none remaining in the inadequate category. The mean score increased from 9.1 (SD 4.93) to 21.175 (SD 5.3), giving a mean difference of 12.8. The calculated t value was 26.22 with 39 degrees of freedom and was reported as statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Residence was the only selected demographic factor reported to have a significant association with pre-test knowledge; no selected demographic factor showed a significant association with post-test knowledge.

Conclusion: The structured teaching programme was associated with a marked improvement in hand-hygiene knowledge among the participating primary school students. Regular, age-appropriate health education may be incorporated into school health activities, while larger studies with behavioural and longer-term outcomes are needed.