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The effect of a handwashing education program on illness-related absenteeism and attitude toward handwashing
Abstract
This study examined the effect of a handwashing education program on illness-related absenteeism and attitudes toward handwashing among elementary students in grades three through six. One thousand one hundred and forty students participated in the illness-related absences component of the study. Seven-hundred sixty of the 1140 students also participated in the attitude assessment component of the study. An intact, non-equivalent, control-group design, with two independent variables was used to test the hypotheses that participation in a handwashing education program would result in a significant difference in number of illness-related absences between control and experimental groups, and would also result in a significant difference in students' attitudes toward handwashing between control and experimental groups. The experimental group participated in a handwashing education program consisting of three components, (a) teacher delivered instruction about how, when, and why children should wash their hands; (b) five teaching/learning activities related to handwashing; and (c) the use of alcohol-impregnated handwipes for cleansing the hands. Two repeated measures ANOVA were conducted. The students in the experimental group had fewer illness-related absences than the control group students on average, however, this between groups difference was not statistically significant. The results of the repeated measures ANOVA indicated there was no time by group interaction at the p $<$.05 level. Following participation in the handwashing education program, the students in the experimental group scored lower on the attitude assessment instrument post-test, which indicated an improved attitude toward handwashing. The results of the repeated measures ANOVA indicated that there was a significance interaction at the p $<$.05 level between the control and experimental groups. The null hypothesis of no interaction between the two groups was rejected.
Subject Area
Health education|Public health|Elementary education
Recommended Citation
Courtney, Kathie Sue, "The effect of a handwashing education program on illness-related absenteeism and attitude toward handwashing" (1995). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9611045.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9611045