The Effect of the Education Based on Social Cognitive Theory in Hand Washing of Primary School Students

Handwashing is one of the most appropriate and affordable infection control measures to prevent the spread of a variety of infectious diseases. Schools are important social environments for interventions that aim to improve health behaviors. Implementing affordable and effective handwashing education programs can lead to a reduction in infectious diseases, absenteeism, antibiotic resistance and health care costs. The purpose of this educational project was to assess the effect of intervention (based on the social cognitive theory)on the frequency of handwashing among elementary public school children.
This Quasi-experimental study consisted of 68 elementary school students, aged 9-10 years, selected by multistage sampling. In this study, variables of demographic and variables based on social cognitive theory structures such as modeling, goal setting, social support and self-efficacy were assessed. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS16 software and descriptive and inferential tests.
Findings: A significant increase occurred in the handwashing frequency from preintervention to postintervention (p = 0.041) & in the control group (p = 0.046). Knowledge and social support were significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (p = 0.048) (p = 0.008). Overall, a significant increase was observed in the knowledge of students in experimental group (p = 0.034).
Education & social support based on social cognitive theory may result in a sustainable increase in the frequency of handwashing among elementary school children.