Abstract

Hand Hygiene Education Decreased School Absenteeism among Saudi Female Primary Students in Saudi Arabia, 2018

Background: Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) frequently results in students’ absence. Proper hand hygiene is an important preventative measure to control transmission infections. The study aimed to determine if there was an association between the education of hand hygiene and reduction in school absences due to URIs among primary students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A clustered randomized controlled trial was conducted. After completion of baseline data questionnaires, students in the experimental group attended hand hygiene workshops. Parents of absent students were phoned to uncover the reason for absence. Result: The multivariate analysis revealed that students in the experimental group were at significantly lower risk of URIs absenteeism (Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR): 0.508, 95% CI: 0.292-0.882, p-value: 0.016). Family size was related to URI absences, as students in families with 4-5 members and 6 or more members were at significantly lower risk for absence due to URIs when compared to students in families with 3 members (IRR: 0.191, 95% CI: 0.050-0.727, p-value: 0.015) and (IRR: 0.157, 95% CI: 0.041-0.595, p-value=0.006), respectively. Students exposed to passive cigarette smoking were twice as likely to be absent due to URI compared to those who were not exposed (IRR: 1.926, 95% CI: 1.095-3.389, p-value: 0.023). Conclusion: School absenteeism was lower among students who participated in the hand hygiene workshop. Hand hygiene education programs are encouraged for adoption by stakeholders to break the transmission of URIs through utilizing available human resources.

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