The effectiveness of a nail-biting prevention program among primary school students

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Behavioral Science
• Health Promotion

Background:

• Nail-biting is a common habit among primary school students, often leading to physical complications.
• Existing interventions may not adequately address the behavioral and health promotion aspects of habit cessation.
• A need exists for effective, nurse-led programs to manage and reduce nail-biting behaviors in school settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the "Do Not Bite Your Nails, Cut Your Nails" program in altering nail-biting habits.
• To assess the program's impact on the physical condition of students' nails and fingers.
• To provide a framework for school nurses to implement targeted interventions for nail-biting.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design utilizing pre-test and post-test measurements with interrupted time series.
• The study included 299 primary school students over a 6-week intervention period.
• Data collection involved nurse observation forms and nail follow-up charts, analyzed using McNemar and Cochran Q tests.

Main Results:

• Significant reduction in reported nail-biting behaviors and increased nail-cutting frequency.
• Marked decrease in physical signs of nail damage, such as bleeding cuticles and abnormal finger conditions (from 83.9% to 6%).
• Statistically significant improvements observed across all measured outcomes (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• The "Do Not Bite Your Nails, Cut Your Nails" program is highly effective in reducing nail-biting among primary school students.
• School nurses can utilize this program for comprehensive assessment, intervention, and prevention of nail-biting complications.
• The program's success suggests its applicability in diverse school environments to improve nursing practice and student health outcomes.