Year: 2023 | Month: November | Volume: 13 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 295-303
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20231135
Regional Health Policies and Programs Regarding Plans and Implementation of Healthy Lifestyle Promotion and Intestinal Parasitic Infections Among the School Going Children in Meru County, Kenya
Judith Naita Ngechu1, Rosebella Onyango2, Charles Wafula3
1Department of Community Health and Development, Great Lakes University of Kisumu (GLUK), Kisumu, Kenya
2Department of Public Health, Great Lakes University of Kisumu (GLUK), Kisumu, Kenya
3Department of Community Health and Development, Great Lakes University of Kisumu (GLUK), Kisumu, Kenya
Corresponding Author: Judith Naita Ngechu
ABSTRACT
Background: Public Health Promotion aims to improve health by empowering people to control and improve their health. School-aged children are particularly affected, as they spend most of their time at home and school. In Kenya, the Kenyan government implemented a school deworming program in 2008, affecting 56.8% of school-aged children aged 5-14 years.
Methods: This study adopted a mixed methods design, specifically the convergent parallel mixed methods research design. Data was collected using questionnaires, key informants guide, observation and stool examination for intestinal parasitic infections which were administered to both the experimental groups and the control groups. Data analysis was carried out with the aid of SPSS version 26.0, using descriptive statistics to describe the characteristics of the studied population. Qualitative data was analyzed by thematic content analysis.
Results: The study found that 34.7% and 38.4% of respondents were aware of intestinal worms having helminthic and protozoan infections, respectively. However, there was no significant association between these two infections. All other variables had no statistical relationship with helminthic and protozoan infections. Additionally, 30.7% and 24.1% of respondents were aware of intestinal worms having protozoan infections, but no significant association was found. Hand washing with soap and water had a statistical relationship with protozoan infections.
Conclusions: Hand hygiene practices significantly reduced the prevalence of intestinal helminthic and protozoan infections in children. Factors contributing to this reduction include gender, healthy eating habits, proper nutrition, cooked food, and boiling water. Public health interventions were effective in reducing the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in the intervention group.
Key words: Hand hygiene, soil transmitted helminths, Disease outbreak, Handwashing facilities