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Related Experiment Videos

Hygiene in the home: relating bugs and behaviour.

Val Curtis1, Adam Biran, Katie Deverell

  • 1Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, DCVBU/ITD London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Kepple Street, London WCIE 7HT, UK. val.curtis@lshtm.ac.uk

Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|June 25, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Poor handwashing and hygiene practices in homes contribute to infectious intestinal disease (IID). Addressing specific risks like nappy changes and kitchen contamination is crucial for effective prevention programs.

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Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Microbiology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Infectious intestinal disease (IID) frequently originates within the home environment.
  • Effective prevention requires identifying high-risk hygiene practices and understanding their underlying motivations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate carer and child hygiene practices in domestic settings.
  • To identify specific risk factors for disease transmission within the home.
  • To understand motivations behind hygiene behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • Multidisciplinary approach combining structured observation, surface swabbing (polio vaccine virus, enteric markers), and qualitative interviews (semi-structured, projective, focus groups).
  • Microbiological sampling of household surfaces to detect fecal contamination.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of nappy-changing and toilet-use hygiene.

    • Main Results:

    • Low handwashing rates observed: 42% after nappy changes, 20% after toilet use.
    • Significant fecal contamination found on household surfaces, including 15% of bathroom samples and 12% of living room samples.
    • Nappy changing often occurred in living rooms, increasing contact with surfaces.
    • Fecal contamination detected on kitchen taps and soap dispensers.
    • Motivations for hygiene included social impression, child protection, and aesthetics.

    Conclusions:

    • Key risks include inadequate handwashing after contact with stool/nappies and pathogen transfer to kitchens.
    • The birth of a child presents an opportunity to promote improved home hygiene.
    • Polio vaccine virus is a viable indicator for large-scale household transmission studies.
    • Multidisciplinary research is vital for designing effective hygiene promotion programs for IID prevention.