Impact of a teacher-led school handwashing program on children's handwashing with soap at school and home in Bihar, India.

ABSTRACT: Handwashing with soap is an important preventive health behavior, and yet promoting this behavior has proven challenging. We report the results of a program that trained teachers to deliver a handwashing with soap behavior change program to children in primary schools in Bihar, India. Ten intervention schools selected along with ten nearby control schools, and intervention schools received the "School of Five" program promoting handwashing with soap using interactive stories, games, and songs, behavioral diaries to encourage habit formation, and public commitment. Households with children aged 8-13 attending the nearby school were enrolled in the study. Handwashing with soap was measured using sticker diaries before eating and after defecation 4 weeks after the intervention was completed.

SUBMITTER: Tidwell JB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7046199 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature