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Life Skills-based Hygiene Education Programs
Experience shows that constructing water supply and sanitation facilities is not enough to improve health; sanitation and hygiene promotion must accompany infrastructure investments if these are to realize their full potential as a public health intervention. Changing hygiene behavior is complex. Hygiene promotion is most successful when it targets a few behaviors with the most potential for impact.
On the basis of extensive research, WHO and UNICEF have identified hand washing with soap (or ash or other aid) after stool disposal and before preparing food; safe disposal of feces and use of latrines; and safe weaning food preparation, water handling, and storage as the key hygiene behaviors.
Effective hygiene promotion can reinforce positive attitudes and behavior and reduce or prevent risks. The key issues in hygiene education are many, yet lessons have been learned with regard to effective hygiene education in schools:
- School hygiene education activities for children must recognize that the learning of children differs in the various stages of their development.
Preschool and primary school children do not possess the same skills, knowledge, and attitudes toward learning complex concepts as older children (or adults). A common mistake made when developing hygiene promotion activities for children is the use of methodologies that have been designed for adults. In general, such adult methodologies will need to be adapted before they can be effectively used with children.
- New knowledge does not equal new practice.
Acquired knowledge does not automatically translate into changed hygiene behaviors. Children need to be motivated to translate the knowledge they have acquired into practice, and age-appropriate life skills for hygiene, sanitation, and water in schools should be developed.
In recent years a new methodology, life skills-based hygiene education, has been developed.This methodology does not merely teach children facts about health risks and unsafe hygiene practices. It helps children develop essential life skills that enable them to take greater responsibility for their own lives. Life skills-based hygiene can help children to acquire and maintain healthy lifestyles and conditions through the development of knowledge, attitudes, and especially skills, using a variety of learning experiences, with an emphasis on participatory methods.
Life skills-based education essentially tries to center hygiene practices in children's daily reality, while helping children acquire both knowledge of appropriate hygiene behaviors and the skills to use them. The most salient differences between the life skills-based and the traditional education approach are summarized in table 1.
| Table 1. Hygiene Education Methods Compared |
| Traditional education method |
Life skills-based education |
| Lesson content is not adjusted to local conditions |
The content of the lessons is adapted to real life situations |
| Emphasis is on acquiring knowledge |
Emphasis is on developing knowledge, skills and attitudes |
| Method is teacher centered |
Method is child centered |
| Teacher uses one-way teaching in which the teacher speaks and the students listen |
Children learn from the teacher and each other |
| Learning is mostly through written text |
The teacher uses written text and participatory and interactive activities |
| Children sit in rows with the teacher facing the class |
Seating arrangements are flexible, allowing for group work and classroom teaching |
Developing a successful hygiene education program for school children should involve several steps:
For more details, see
WHO. 2003. Skills for health: Skills-based health education including life skills: An important component of a child-friendly/health-promoting school. The World Health Organization's Information Series on School Health, Document 9.
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