Knowledge, Attitude & Practices Study on Hand Hygiene among the Children Aged 12-17 Years.
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Abstract
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that good hand hygiene practices are crucial in controlling infections. Handwashing is one of the ways through which children can be kept safe from infections.
Objective: The primary objective of the research study was to determine the hand hygiene knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of the respondents aged 12-17 years of the Maharashtra region. The study focused on comparing gender to understand who had a better knowledge regarding hand hygiene and comparing their attitudes.(1)
Method: A randomized survey was conducted among children aged 12 to 17 years old. A total of 108 respondents participated in the research study. A well-defined questionnaire determined respondents' KAP regarding hand hygiene. Statistical methods like the Chi-square test and Pearson Correlation test were performed to assess respondents’ knowledge, attitude, and practices.
Results: Respondents had adequate hand hygiene knowledge, and COVID-19 has positively impacted respondents’ attitude toward hand hygiene (P-value 0.30945509). However, respondents had a misconception regarding proper hand hygiene steps and practices. When correlating knowledge and practice, Pearson Correlation gave a value of -0.8842, indicating the correlation between Knowledge and Practices followed by the respondents was negative.
Conclusion: There was an adequate amount of knowledge about hand hygiene among respondents. The Chi-square analysis also indicated that girls' knowledge, attitude, and practices were better than boys. However, there was still a need to increase respondents’ understanding of proper hand hygiene practices and procedures. On the positive side, COVID-19 has made respondents more aware of their hand hygiene practice.
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