Scheduled Hand Washing in an Elementary School Population

Overview

Journal Fam Med

Specialty Public Health

Date 1997 May 1

PMID 9165286

Citations 30

Authors

D Master

S H Hess Longe

H Dickson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background And Objectives: Hand washing prevents communicable illness. We evaluated the effect of a mandatory, scheduled hand-washing program in elementary school children on absenteeism due to acute communicable illness.

Methods: The study was conducted at Trombley Elementary School in Grosse Pointe Park, Mich. The intervention group, approximately half of the school children (n = 143, including all grades 1-5), washed their hands a minimum of four scheduled times a day. The control group (n = 162) continued hand-washing practices as usual.

Results: Of the 37 school days examined, children in the hand-washing group were absent fewer days than the control group due to all acute communicable illness (relative risk = .75). There were less days of absence due to gastrointestinal symptoms (relative risk = .43). The difference in absence due to respiratory symptoms was not statistically significant.

Conclusions: A scheduled hand-washing program will reduce acute communicable (gastrointestinal) illnesses in elementary school-age children.

Citing Articles

Knowledge of hand hygiene and evaluation of hand washing technique among nurses at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital.

Nwosu N, Mmerem J, Ozougwu J, Nlewedim P, Ugwa O, Ugwunna N BMC Nurs. 2024; 23(1):872.

PMID: 39623441 PMC: 11613860. DOI: 10.1186/s12912-024-02519-2.

Hand-washing promotion for preventing diarrhoea.

Ejemot-Nwadiaro R, Ehiri J, Arikpo D, Meremikwu M, Critchley J Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021; 12:CD004265.

PMID: 33539552 PMC: 8094449. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004265.pub4.

Cochrane Review: Interventions for the interruption or reduction of the spread of respiratory viruses.

Jefferson T, Foxlee R, Del Mar C, Dooley L, Ferroni E, Hewak B Evid Based Child Health. 2020; 3(4):951-1013.

PMID: 32313518 PMC: 7163512. DOI: 10.1002/ebch.291.

Rinse-free hand wash for reducing absenteeism among preschool and school children.

Munn Z, Tufanaru C, Lockwood C, Stern C, McAneney H, Barker T Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020; 4:CD012566.

PMID: 32270476 PMC: 7141998. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012566.pub2.

Pilot of an Elementary School Cough Etiquette Intervention: Acceptability, Feasibility, and Potential for Sustainability.

Sultana F, Nizame F, Southern D, Unicomb L, Winch P, Luby S Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2017; 97(6):1876-1885.

PMID: 29141703 PMC: 5805026. DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0914.