Perception of teachers and students towards hygiene practice in government primary schools

Abstract

Introduction: Hygiene practice among primary school children in Bangladesh is still poor despite increasing awareness, and there is still a gap between knowledge and practice. This study explored the perceptions, practices, and barriers to hygiene among government primary school students in semi-urban Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: The qualitative study was done at two government primary schools. Semi-structured interviews with 12 students and 6 teachers, two focus group discussions with 20 parents, and structured observation of WASH facilities and student hygiene behaviors were used to gather data. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the data. Results: The study found that multidimensional hygiene perceptions of students were based on physical cleanliness, health protection and social respectability. There was a considerable knowledge-practice gap that was influenced by knowledge-related, economic, infrastructural, and time-related hurdles. Hygiene behaviors were determined by multilevel factors, such as self-efficacy, maternal role, peer pressure and inadequate school WASH infrastructure. Conclusion: Hygiene needs to be improved systemically, through infrastructure advancement, skills-based curriculum, parental involvement, and policy implementation to achieve sustainability.