Little hands, big hygiene: inspiring clean habits through the art of proper handwashing

Hand hygiene is a basic way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. The most fragile group with an increased risk of infection is children. Thus, it is important to educate children on the importance of good hygiene and correct handwashing techniques. The project aimed to educate on the importance of hand hygiene, assess current knowledge of hand hygiene and washing techniques, and evaluate the effectiveness of hand hygiene and washing technique education among primary school students. Five hundred students were recruited for the project. A pre-intervention assessment was conducted to establish baseline knowledge of hygiene and handwashing techniques, followed by intervention sessions that included demonstrations, interactive activities, and innovative tools designed to make learning more engaging. We then repeated the practical and knowledge assessments as post-intervention assessments. The results showed initially low knowledge and skills in hand hygiene, particularly among lower primary students. Median post-intervention scores showed substantial improvements across all standards for both knowledge and practical skills (p-value < 0.001), with large effect sizes (r = 0.621–0.877). This project shows that structured, engaging, school-based hand hygiene education significantly improves children’s theoretical and practical knowledge.