The Impact of a School-Based Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Intervention on Knowledge, Practices, and Diarrhoea Rates in the Philippines

Hassan Vally, Celia McMichael, Claire Doherty, Xia Li, Gilbert Guevarra and Paola Tobias
Additional contact information
Hassan Vally: Department of Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
Celia McMichael: School of Geography, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3053, Australia
Claire Doherty: Department of Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
Xia Li: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
Gilbert Guevarra: Australian Red Cross, Manila 1515, Philippines
Paola Tobias: Philippine Red Cross, Manila 1515, Philippines

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-14

Abstract: A school-based water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) intervention in the Philippines was evaluated. Students and households from four schools that received the WASH intervention (intervention schools) were compared with four schools that had not (comparison schools). Knowledge of critical handwashing times was high across all schools, but higher in intervention schools. Students reported higher rates of handwashing after toilet use (92% vs. 87%; RR = 1.06; p = 0.003) and handwashing with soap (83% vs. 60%; RR = 1.4; p < 0.001) in intervention versus comparison schools. In intervention schools, 89% of students were directly observed to handwash after toilet use versus 31% in comparison schools (RR = 2.84; p < 0.0001). Observed differences in handwashing with soap after toilet use were particularly marked (65% vs. 10%; RR = 6.5; p < 0.0001). Reported use of school toilets to defecate (as opposed to use of toilet elsewhere or open defecation) was higher among intervention versus comparison schools (90% vs. 63%; RR = 1.4; p < 0.001). Multilevel modelling indicated that students from intervention schools reported a 10-fold reduction in odds ( p < 0.001) of school absence due to diarrhoea. In addition to school-based findings, self-reported handwashing at critical times was found to be higher among household members of students from intervention schools. This school-based WASH program appeared to increase knowledge and hygiene behaviours of school students, reduce absences due to diarrhoea, and increase handwashing at critical times among household members.

Keywords: water; sanitation; hygiene; diarrhoea; school; Philippines (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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