Knowledge, attitude, and practice of personal hygiene among primary school students in southern Jordan: A cross-sectional school-based study

Abstract Background: Personal hygiene has long been recognized as a key global public health concern that contributes to promoting health and preventing the transmission of diseases. This study aimd to evaluate Southern Jordanian primary school students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices about personal hygiene. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional school-based study with 348 primary school students aged 10 to 15 is conducted to achieve the study objectives. A self-administered questionnaire with four sections: sociodemographic data, personal hygiene knowledge, personal hygiene attitude, and personal hygiene practice is also adopted. Results: The results indicated that the students had excellent (>90%) knowledge of personal hygiene. The students' attitudes toward the value of personal hygiene, using soap for handwashing, toothpaste for brushing teeth, and a towel as personal hygiene equipment were also excellent . Some students, however, lack other aspects of attitudes and practices dimensions. Conclusions: There is a statistically significant association between gender and knowledge, attitude, and practices toward personal hygiene.Female students have more knowledge and practice than male students, while male students have a better attitude than females. With this, the research highly recommends implementing school-based health education programs about personal hygiene.