ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A hand hygiene training programme implemented in 15 Hong Kong nurseries resulted in lower absence rates due to flu-like symptoms, according to a study.

Dr Peggy Or Pui lai of The Education University of Hong Kong conducted the trial to find out whether improved hand hygiene training could result in fewer illnesses at kindergarten level.

A total of 58 parents, two grandparents and their respective children and grandchildren were invited to participate in the hand hygiene programme. An infection control nurse conducted a series of 45-minute training sessions for the children using the WHO hand hygiene checklist. Parents and grandparents were given a separate one-hour session.

After the training the children showed an increased level of concern about the hand hygiene behaviour of people around them, particularly their parents. They also shared what they had learned which led to their parents paying greater attention to proper handwashing. And the programme provided common topics of conversation for children and parents, resulting in increased communication and closer bonds.

Hand washing behaviour was also found to improve considerably after the programme with the number of participants washing their wrists as well as their hands rising from 0.5 per cent to 82 per cent.

Parents then monitored their children for flu-like symptoms while the kindergartens checked their school attendance. Absence rates in participating kindergartens owing to flu decreased from 21.5 per cent to 12 per cent in the three-month study period.

The findings supported the premise that positive hand hygiene parenting could help to reduce kindergarteners' absenteeism from flu-like illnesses.