DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2014.v02i08.005

Pages: 499-504

Sanitation is one of the basic determinants of quality of life and human development index. Good sanitary practices go a long way in helping to prevent diseases. Hand washing and oral hygiene are the basic steps to maintaining good health. The present study was a school based survey undertaken among children in a government school in an urban area of north India with the objectives of finding out the prevalent status of personal hygiene in the study population. The total sample was 684 students. The survey was conducted using the GSHS Core Questionnaire Hygiene Module of the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) 2013 Core Questionnaire Modules. There were three classes – class I, II and III, each having five sections and a total of 246, 220 and 218 children respectively (N=684). Most of the junior children carried their own water bottles to the school, while this practice decreased as they grew older and senior. Almost all the children adhered to the good habit of washing their hands after using the toilet or latrine, always, or at least most of the times, but the practice of using soap was variable. The present study revealed a generally good standard of hygiene amongst the study population. However, steps are required to be taken to improve the status of personal hygiene of all the school children, who are found lacking in this aspect, through various coordinated primordial as well as primary preventive measures like imparting health education.