Hand washing Knowledge and Practice among mothers of under-five children in coastal Karnataka, India – A cross-sectional study
Journal Title: International Journal of Medical and Health Sciences - Year 2014, Vol 3, Issue 4
Abstract
Washing one’s hands with soap following critical moments like after toilet use, after cleaning a child’s bottom and before handling food is an important barrier to the transmission of pathogens causing diarrhea and acute respiratory infections (ARI). The present study aimed at determining the knowledge and practice of hand washing among the mothers of under-five children attending the anganwadis in Udupi taluk and to identify the factors associated with hand washing practice. A cross-sectional study was undertaken between October and November 2013 to cover 14 anganwadis in Udupi taluk. Convenient sampling was used to select 90 mothers who were interviewed about their knowledge and practice of hand washing at key junctures. Majority of the mothers (96.7%) knew the importance of hand washing for preventing diseases and the critical moments where hand washing with soap (HWWS) was crucial like after defecation (96.66%), after cleaning child’s bottom (91.11%) and before handling food (83.33%). The practice of HWWS was high for occasions like after defecation (90%) and after cleaning child’s bottom (87.8%) but low for events like before cooking (31.1%) and before feeding child (38.9%). Mother’s education, location of wash area and soap availability were all associated with HWWS practice. There was gap between the knowledge and practice of HWWS before cooking, eating or feeding the child compared to other critical times. Providing information about benefits of hand washing in anganwadis and using social marketing approaches to adopt hand washing behaviors among the mothers may have lasting impact on children’s health.
Authors and Affiliations
K. Seema Aithal, Miti Judith Ogorchukwu, Vidya Prabhu, Prafulla Shriyan, Uday Narayan Yadav
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP39817
- DOI -
- Views 330
- Downloads 0
A Comparative Study of Heart Rate Variability During Deep Breathing in Normotensive and Hypertensive Subjects
Background: Autonomic neuropathy in hypertensives leads to impaired regulation of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variability (HRV).Heart Rate Variability with Deep Breathing (HRVdb) test is a simple, non- invasive &...
The Roles of G-protein coupled receptors in health and disease conditions
The super family of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is the main target for the actions exerted by hormones, drugs and neurotransmitters. Each GPCR shows preferential coupling to some members of the Gprotein family s...
Halitosis: Discover the Cause and Say No to It !!!! - An overview
Halitosis or bad breath is a common problem in humans, because of its individual nature this condition can cause social humiliation, emotional and psychological anguish leading to a lack of self-esteem, self-image, and...
Assessment of Occupational Stress using Punjabi Version of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) in Punjabi Population
Background: The occurrence of occupation related stress is being increasingly reported now days. The perceived stress scale (PSS-10) is the most commonly used psychological instrument to measure perceived stress. Aim: T...
Pre-stroke statin use was associated with lower risk of in-hospital death in nonthrombolysed patients
Background: Prior studies suggested that statins might have a neuroprotective effect in patients with acute ischemic stroke. The aim of this study was the evaluation of the short-term effects of statins following ischem...