INCULCATING HAND HYGIENE HABITS AMONG CHILDREN: REFLECTIONS FROM THE SCHOOL HOLIDAY HANDWASHING AWARENESS PROGRAM

Abstract

During the school holiday in  September 2024, lecturers from the faculty of medicine and defence health, National Defence University of Malaysia (NDUM), in collaboration with the management of Kidikobucare Centre Seri Kembangan, organised a "Handwashing Awareness" activity for children. This program aimed to raise understanding about the significance of handwashing as a preventive measure to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Proper hand hygiene is especially crucial in kindergarten settings, where children are in close contact with one another. Through this program, we provided training based on a pre-planned COM-B model framework of behavioural change. We emphasized various aspects of handwashing, including the “why”, “how”, “when”, and “where”. A total of 26 children, aged 3 to 12 years, participated in this activity. Based on the feedback from teachers involved in the program, they found the activity to be highly useful in cultivating the habit of handwashing among children. It is hoped that this programme will continue to be an effective effort in increasing awareness about the importance of handwashing among children from a very young age.