Knowledge and attitudes of pupils in some of primary schools regarding personal hygiene in Erbil city

Abstract

Background: Hygiene is an old concept related to medicine awareness to personal and professional care practices related to most aspects of living. Inadequate sanitary conditions and poor hygiene practices play major roles in the increased burden of communicable disease within the developing countries.

Objectives: (1). Previous hand hygiene studies have indicated that children with proper hand washing practices are less likely to report gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms (2). Schools should provide for hygiene education to kindergarten and early grade school children to supplement the training provided by parents and guardians, to ensure that all children learn at an appropriate age how to protect themselves and others of preventable exposure to illness and other hygienic hazards.

Methodology: Hand washing with soap has been reported to reduce diarrhea morbidity by 44% and respiratory infection by 23 % (3.) A study reported that 17% of participants washed their hands with soap after toilet, while 45% used only water (4). In addition to having proper resources and facilities hygiene practices are heavily influenced by pupil's knowledge and attitudes towards hygiene (5). Hygiene in school, home, and every day life settings plays an important part in preventing spread of infectious diseases (6). Beginning in the early nineteenth century the repeated onslaught of diseases such as cholera begins to alter people's understanding of personal hygiene.
Hygiene practices are preventive measures to reduce the incidence and spreading of disease and are parts of good personal grooming (7). Hygiene as a system included not only personal hygiene related to food, clothing and exercise but also sciences such as engineering, bacteriology, public sanitation and waterworks (8). School teachers are considered the major source of information for their students and would appear to be suitable as health educators. School teachers are expected to be role models so that students can emulate and adopt their behavior and attitudes9.