Personal Hygiene Knowledge and Practices among Secondary School Students in Umunneochi Lga, Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Personal hygiene is an important component of disease prevention and health promotion, particularly among adolescents. However, students’ hygiene practices may be influenced by their level of knowledge, family support, access to hygiene materials, health education, and the availability of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools. Aim: This study examined personal hygiene practices among secondary school students in Umunneochi Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria. The study was guided by four specific objectives: to determine the level of knowledge of personal hygiene among the students; to assess their personal hygiene practices; to identify the factors influencing these practices; and to examine the influence of school WASH facilities on students' hygiene behaviours. Methods: A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and data were collected from 422 secondary school students using a structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, mean scores, and Likert scale analysis, with a benchmark mean of 2.50 used for decision-making on Likert scale items. Results: The findings revealed that the majority of respondents were adolescents aged 13–15 years (39.10%), with a relatively balanced gender distribution (52.80% male, 47.20% female), and most attended public secondary schools (61.40%). The study found that the students possessed an excellent level of knowledge regarding personal hygiene, with 100% of respondents correctly identifying basic hygiene principles such as handwashing, oral hygiene, and menstrual hygiene, while 98.10% acknowledged the importance of clean water for maintaining hygiene. The results on personal hygiene practices indicated that students generally demonstrated good hygiene behaviours, with a grand mean score of 3.13 exceeding the benchmark. The highest-rated practices were wearing clean clothes to school regularly (Mean = 3.37), keeping fingernails clean and trimmed (Mean = 3.36), and practising proper menstrual hygiene (Mean = 3.24). Parental encouragement (Mean = 3.32) emerged as the most influential factor, followed by knowledge of diseases (Mean = 3.23) and health education received in school (Mean = 3.12). Additionally, school WASH facilities positively influenced hygiene practices, with regular hygiene education (Mean = 3.18) and a clean school environment (Mean = 3.09) ranking highest among the facility-related factors. Conclusion: The study concluded that secondary school students in Umunneochi Local Government Area possess high knowledge levels and demonstrate good personal hygiene practices, which are significantly influenced by parental support, health education, and the availability of school WASH facilities. It is recommended that government and school authorities should strengthen health education programmes, improve the availability and affordability of hygiene materials, and enhance school WASH infrastructure, particularly the provision of functional handwashing facilities with soap, adequate water supply, and clean toilets, to sustain and improve students' hygiene behaviours. Furthermore, parents and community stakeholders should be engaged in hygiene promotion initiatives to reinforce positive practices at home and in schools.