ArticleWorld journal of pediatrics : WJP2020
Effect of hand hygiene intervention on the absenteeism of pre-school children in Klang Valley, Malaysia: a quasi-experimental study.
Article in World journal of pediatrics : WJP, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Rinse-free hand wash for reducing absenteeism among preschool and school children.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- A cluster-randomised controlled equivalence trial of the Surprise Soap handwashing intervention among older children living in a refugee settlement in Sudan.BMJ global health · 2023Trial
- Effectiveness of Hand Washing Education on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice among Orang Asli Kids in Gua Musang, Kelantan.The Malaysian journal of medical sciences : MJMS · 2025Article
- Digital tools to promote or measure health literacy in children aged 3-5 years: scoping review.Health promotion international · 2025Article
- Nongovernmental Organization Practitioners' Perspectives on the Challenges and Solutions to Changing Handwashing Behavior in Older Children: A Qualitative Study.Global health, science and practice · 2023Article
- Handwashing Practice among Elementary Schoolchildren in Urban Setting, Mongolia: A School-Based Cross-Sectional Survey.Journal of environmental and public health · 2022Article
- Personal hygiene in schools: retrospective survey in the northern part of Côte d'Ivoire.Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAbsenteeism amongst pre-school children is often due to illnesses such as hand, foot, and mouth disease, acute gastroenteritis, cold and flu, which are easily spread amongst them. This is because of weak immunity and lack of knowledge on proper hand hygiene. This quasi-experimental study assessed the efficacy of an intervention consisting of a hand hygiene education programme, along with digital tools in bringing about a change in behaviour and health conditions amongst pre-school children in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
methodsA total of 377 school children, male and female, aged 5-6 years old, participated and were assigned to either the intervention or a control group. During the 2 months intervention period, children in the test group were trained on proper hand hygiene practices and techniques with the aid of the interactive android-based tablets. The numbers of absent days of all the children were recorded for 2 months before the intervention and during the intervention.
resultsIn the test group, there was a 25% increase in the total number of absent days from the pre-intervention period to the intervention period, a much lesser increment observed as compared to that of control group in which the increase was much higher at 89%. Results showed a significant difference (P < 0·05) between the absenteeism rates for the test and control group during the intervention period.
conclusionThese results suggest that proper education and intervention increase hand hygiene compliance, which may help decrease school absenteeism due to illness; however, a longer study duration may be necessary to evaluate the benefit further.
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