Inexpensive and time efficient hand hygiene interventions increase elementary school children's hand hygiene rates

This educational project was designed to improve the hand hygiene of elementary school children by implementing two inexpensive interventions, costing under $100.00 per year. Phase I-492 children, grades first through sixth, located in urban Utah participated in this project. Classes from each grade were assigned, with formal randomization, to either the control group or Interventions 1 or 2. The control group received a teacher verbal cue to action. Intervention I received a teacher verbal cue and modeling. Intervention 2 received education on germ theory, hand hygiene and an experience using simulated germ lotion. Phase II- Three months post intervention, student hand hygiene practices were observed and recorded. Phase I results-When comparing the proportion of hand hygiene of the control group to Intervention 1and Intervention 2 there was statistical significance. Statistical significance was also identified between the subpopulations male and female. Phase II- Three months post intervention hand hygiene rates remained virtually unchanged and statistically significant for the total population as well as for the subpopulations male and female. This study demonstrated that verbal cue to action combined with teacher modeling, education and visual demonstration of the effectiveness of hand hygiene resulted in a sustainable increase in the frequency of hand hygiene among elementary school aged children.