Hand hygiene knowledge and demonstrated technique among Malawian kindergarten children: A quasi-experimental study.
Balwani Chingatichifwe Mbakaya, Maggie Zgambo, Fatch Welcome Kalembo
PMID 37097741WHAT IT FOUND
In Malawian kindergarten children, a school handwashing programme raised knowledge and 5-step technique scores, and gains remained high at 3-month follow-up.
It did not test whether infections fell.
Key findings
01Hand hygiene knowledge scores rose from a median of 3.00 before the programme to 5.00 after it, and to 6.00 at follow-up.
02The demonstrated 5-step handwashing technique score rose from a median of 1.67 before the programme to 8.00 after it, then to 7.83 at follow-up.
03The reduction in technique scores from after the programme to follow-up was not statistically significant.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study followed the same children before and after the programme, with no untreated comparison group, so other changes in the school could have affected the scores. All children came from one private kindergarten in northern Malawi and were 3 to 6 years old, so the results may not apply to other schools, ages, or settings. The interventionists and assessors could not be blinded, and handwashing technique was observed, which may have introduced bias. The outcomes were knowledge and demonstrated technique, not infections, absenteeism, or actual handwashing at home. Parents received materials, but their reinforcement of handwashing was not measured. Follow-up was only 3 months, and technique scores dipped slightly after the programme ended.
Declared interests
No funding was received. All authors declare no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the improved handwashing scores as proof that the programme prevented infections. The study measured knowledge and observed technique in 53 children at one private school, with no control group and no infection outcomes.