Hygiene Practice Among the Primary School Children During COVID-19 Pandemic in Türkiye: A Descriptive Analysis on the Significance of Social Awareness

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 has emerged as a globally serious concern in recent times. The pandemic has raised several questions about our hygiene practices, social behaviors, and attention to health conditions. Understanding and following certain behavioral and social changes is cumbersome for the children. Practicing proper hand hygiene is of immense importance for the children for their safety and to prevent the disease spread. The present study was conducted to understand the influence of several social factors and instructions to maintain and practice better hand hygiene for school children.
METHODS: The present cross-sectional survey was conducted between Nov 2019 and Mar 2020 among 3462 students. The survey was conducted using a suitable questionnaire that contained questions on the participants’ awareness of the pathogens and diseases, the importance of hygiene, and the response of the students to the instruction provided by their parents or teachers related to hand washing and hygiene maintenance. All categorical responses were scaled using the Likert scale in the range of 1–5. Analysis of the data was done using standard descriptive and inferential statistical measures.
RESULTS: The considered students were between the age of 7 and 11. The selected participants were from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. Out of the total participants, 35.6% were the single child of their parent, whereas 64.44% were having siblings. When the parents of the participants were classified into higher education, the rate of fathers was 7.07% and the rate of mothers was 12.94%, which was statistically significant.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The outcomes, follow-ups, and observations in this study suggested that the students often follow instructions that are attractively presented. During following instructions related to hand wash, they often miss the minute details.