A RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF A SCHOOL-BASED HYGIENE EDUCATION PROGRAM ON STUDENT ABSENTEEISM DUE TO COMMON INFECTIOUS ILLNESSES

Misbah  Nargis; Saira Zubair; Nageena Ghafoor

Authors

Misbah Nargis Indus Hospital QF, NST Campus, Pakistan Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5710-017X
Saira Zubair The Sahara College, Narowal, Pakistan Author
Nageena Ghafoor Dr. Yahya Institute of Medical Science, Layyah, Pakistan Author

Keywords:

Absenteeism, Child Health, Health Education, Hygiene, Infectious Disease Transmission, Primary Schools, Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Infectious illnesses remain a leading cause of absenteeism among primary school children, often disrupting learning continuity and placing a burden on families and educational systems. School-based hygiene interventions have been recognized as practical public-health strategies, yet evidence from controlled trials in resource-limited settings remains limited.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a structured school-based hygiene education program in reducing absenteeism attributable to common infectious illnesses among primary school students.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted over 10 weeks in two comparable primary schools. A total of 130 students aged 8–10 years were enrolled, with 65 allocated to the intervention arm and 65 to the control arm. The intervention consisted of weekly instructor-led hygiene sessions, visual reminders, and supervised handwashing routines. Outcomes included infectious illness–related absentee days, occurrence of at least one infectious absence episode, and pre-post hygiene knowledge scores, measured using a standardized questionnaire and school attendance records. Data were analyzed using independent-sample t-tests and chi-square tests, assuming normally distributed continuous variables.

Results: Students in the intervention group recorded fewer infection-related absentee days (mean 1.98 ± 0.92) compared with controls (3.25 ± 1.22). The proportion experiencing at least one infectious absence was modestly lower in the intervention group (98%) than in the control group (100%). Hygiene knowledge improved substantially in the intervention arm, rising from a mean pre-score of 5.02 to a post-score of 8.18, whereas only minimal change was observed in the control group (4.51 to 5.15). All differences were statistically significant.

Conclusion: The hygiene education program effectively reduced infection-related absenteeism and enhanced hygiene knowledge among primary schoolchildren, demonstrating the value of integrating structured preventive health education into routine school activities.

Author Biographies

Misbah Nargis , Indus Hospital QF, NST Campus, Pakistan

Senior Registrar Pediatric Medicine, Indus Hospital QF, NST Campus, Pakistan
Saira Zubair , The Sahara College, Narowal, Pakistan

Lecturer, The Sahara College, Narowal, Pakistan
Nageena Ghafoor, Dr. Yahya Institute of Medical Science, Layyah, Pakistan

Senior Lecturer, Dr. Yahya Institute of Medical Science, Layyah, Pakistan

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