Examining the psychosocial drivers of handwashing behaviour among school children
Aim Handwashing with soap remains the single most cost-effective strategy for reducing the spread of infectious diseases. From our scoping search, no study was identified which examined the predictors of children’s handwashing behaviour within the context of the Health Belief Model (HBM) and Theory...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21642850.2024.2391932 |
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| author | Emmanuel Appiah-Brempong Miriam Appiah-Brempong |
| author_facet | Emmanuel Appiah-Brempong Miriam Appiah-Brempong |
| author_sort | Emmanuel Appiah-Brempong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aim Handwashing with soap remains the single most cost-effective strategy for reducing the spread of infectious diseases. From our scoping search, no study was identified which examined the predictors of children’s handwashing behaviour within the context of the Health Belief Model (HBM) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) combined. This paper contributes to bridging this gap in literature. We sought to examine variables emanating from the HBM and TPB which could potentially predict handwashing behaviour; determine whether behavioural intention will potentially predict behaviour; and identify school children’s motivation for proper handwashing behaviour.Subject and Methods Data were collected from 717 school children recruited from four basic schools. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analysed using multi-variable linear regression models.Results Participants’ knowledge of hand hygiene failed to predict behavioural intention and handwashing behaviour. As regards participants’ perception of severity, there was an association with behavioural intention in a crude model, but this was not so in an adjusted model. Also, perception of severity was not associated with handwashing behaviour. Attitude to handwashing (β = 0.120, 95% CI [0.00, 0.24] p = 0.046), possession of handwashing skills (β = 0.037, 95% CI [0.01, 0.07] p = 0.008), and subjective norms (β = 0.263, 95% CI [0.20, 0.33] p < 0.001) were among the psychosocial variables that showed potential for predicting both behavioural intention and behaviour. The TPB’s intention-behaviour relationship was corroborated by our results. Among others, motivation for adherence to proper handwashing behaviour included the desire to make hands smell better.Conclusion Interventions targeting the handwashing behaviour of school children should consider strategies that move beyond mere knowledge improvement, but rather target attitude and skill enhancement strategies implemented in partnership with ‘significant others’ such as teachers, and adult peers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ade22bb221044240b6323ce73bb46a31 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2164-2850 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-ade22bb221044240b6323ce73bb46a312025-08-20T02:19:06ZengTaylor & Francis GroupHealth Psychology and Behavioral Medicine2164-28502024-12-0112110.1080/21642850.2024.2391932Examining the psychosocial drivers of handwashing behaviour among school childrenEmmanuel Appiah-Brempong0Miriam Appiah-Brempong1Department of Health Promotion and Disability Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaAim Handwashing with soap remains the single most cost-effective strategy for reducing the spread of infectious diseases. From our scoping search, no study was identified which examined the predictors of children’s handwashing behaviour within the context of the Health Belief Model (HBM) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) combined. This paper contributes to bridging this gap in literature. We sought to examine variables emanating from the HBM and TPB which could potentially predict handwashing behaviour; determine whether behavioural intention will potentially predict behaviour; and identify school children’s motivation for proper handwashing behaviour.Subject and Methods Data were collected from 717 school children recruited from four basic schools. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analysed using multi-variable linear regression models.Results Participants’ knowledge of hand hygiene failed to predict behavioural intention and handwashing behaviour. As regards participants’ perception of severity, there was an association with behavioural intention in a crude model, but this was not so in an adjusted model. Also, perception of severity was not associated with handwashing behaviour. Attitude to handwashing (β = 0.120, 95% CI [0.00, 0.24] p = 0.046), possession of handwashing skills (β = 0.037, 95% CI [0.01, 0.07] p = 0.008), and subjective norms (β = 0.263, 95% CI [0.20, 0.33] p < 0.001) were among the psychosocial variables that showed potential for predicting both behavioural intention and behaviour. The TPB’s intention-behaviour relationship was corroborated by our results. Among others, motivation for adherence to proper handwashing behaviour included the desire to make hands smell better.Conclusion Interventions targeting the handwashing behaviour of school children should consider strategies that move beyond mere knowledge improvement, but rather target attitude and skill enhancement strategies implemented in partnership with ‘significant others’ such as teachers, and adult peers.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21642850.2024.2391932Handwashingpsychosocialdriversschoolchildren |
| spellingShingle | Emmanuel Appiah-Brempong Miriam Appiah-Brempong Examining the psychosocial drivers of handwashing behaviour among school children Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine Handwashing psychosocial drivers school children |
| title | Examining the psychosocial drivers of handwashing behaviour among school children |
| title_full | Examining the psychosocial drivers of handwashing behaviour among school children |
| title_fullStr | Examining the psychosocial drivers of handwashing behaviour among school children |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining the psychosocial drivers of handwashing behaviour among school children |
| title_short | Examining the psychosocial drivers of handwashing behaviour among school children |
| title_sort | examining the psychosocial drivers of handwashing behaviour among school children |
| topic | Handwashing psychosocial drivers school children |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21642850.2024.2391932 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT emmanuelappiahbrempong examiningthepsychosocialdriversofhandwashingbehaviouramongschoolchildren AT miriamappiahbrempong examiningthepsychosocialdriversofhandwashingbehaviouramongschoolchildren |