Abstract
Background
Hygiene is essential for preventing diseases, especially among schoolchildren who are vulnerable to infections. This study aimed to assess hygiene knowledge and practices among schoolchildren in Central Kazakhstan.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted in Karaganda, Central Kazakhstan, involving 382 students aged 11-18. Data was collected through an online survey and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics software (version 17.0).
Results
The results showed that 80% of students had sufficient hand hygiene knowledge, and parents identified as the main source of information. Girls demonstrated higher levels of hygiene knowledge than boys, including knowledge of recommended tooth brushing frequency (97% vs. 87.8%, P < 0.001), toothbrush replacement (88.6% vs. 72.4%, P < 0.001), and tongue cleaning (73.1% vs. 54.1%, P < 0.05). Most students were aware of the importance of handwashing after toilet use (99.5% of girls vs. 92.8% of boys, P < 0.05), before meals (99% vs. 92.8%), and after handling garbage (99% vs. 92.3%). However, this knowledge did not consistently translate into practice. Hygiene behaviors in school settings were substantially lower: only 60.2% of girls and 52.5% of boys reported using soap and water at school, compared to over 90% at home. Older students were more informed about hygiene practices, including soap use at school (92.5% vs. 80.6%, P < 0.05), but this did not fully correspond to improved practices.
Conclusions
A clear discrepancy between hygiene knowledge and self-reported practices exists among schoolchildren, which is largely influenced by limited access to hygiene resources in schools. Strengthening school infrastructure and promoting behavior-focused hygiene education are essential to improve practice and support sustainable public health outcomes.
Key messages
• A gap between hygiene knowledge and practice highlights the need for behavior-focused interventions.
• Schools remain a key barrier to achieving SDG 6 in Kazakhstan.