PURPOSE: Environmental conditions often serve as critical enabling factors for health promotion. This article describes the effect of a preschool hygiene intervention program on classroom environmental conditions. DESIGN: Cluster randomized trial, with randomization at the level of the preschool. SETTING:State-run preschools in Jerusalem. SUBJECTS:Forty secular and religious Jerusalem preschools (including 1029 children). INTERVENTION: A multidisciplinary hygiene intervention that included changes to the preschool environment. MEASURES: Presence of soap, soap dispenser, paper towel, paper towel dispenser, cloth towels, communal cup, or personal cups. ANALYSIS: Generalized estimating equations and Fisher's exact test were used to estimate the effect of the intervention program on environmental conditions. RESULTS: Information was obtained from most (97.9%) visits. Baseline environmental hygienic conditions were poor. Relative to the control group, the following environmental conditions were better in the intervention group after program implementation: soap (odds ratio [OR] = 14.7; p < .01), paper towels (OR = 13.5; p < .01), communal cups (OR = .05; p < .01), soap dispensers (secular preschools only, p < .01), individual cups (secular, p < .01; religious, OR = 18.7; p < .02). CONCLUSIONS:Environmental hygiene in the Israeli preschools studied was deficient at baseline but amenable to change. Improvement in environmental conditions was a necessary enabling factor for the changes in hand-washing behavior that were observed among the children. Sustained environmental change is possible in the preschool environment.
RCT Entities:
PURPOSE: Environmental conditions often serve as critical enabling factors for health promotion. This article describes the effect of a preschool hygiene intervention program on classroom environmental conditions. DESIGN: Cluster randomized trial, with randomization at the level of the preschool. SETTING: State-run preschools in Jerusalem. SUBJECTS: Forty secular and religious Jerusalem preschools (including 1029 children). INTERVENTION: A multidisciplinary hygiene intervention that included changes to the preschool environment. MEASURES: Presence of soap, soap dispenser, paper towel, paper towel dispenser, cloth towels, communal cup, or personal cups. ANALYSIS: Generalized estimating equations and Fisher's exact test were used to estimate the effect of the intervention program on environmental conditions. RESULTS: Information was obtained from most (97.9%) visits. Baseline environmental hygienic conditions were poor. Relative to the control group, the following environmental conditions were better in the intervention group after program implementation: soap (odds ratio [OR] = 14.7; p < .01), paper towels (OR = 13.5; p < .01), communal cups (OR = .05; p < .01), soap dispensers (secular preschools only, p < .01), individual cups (secular, p < .01; religious, OR = 18.7; p < .02). CONCLUSIONS: Environmental hygiene in the Israeli preschools studied was deficient at baseline but amenable to change. Improvement in environmental conditions was a necessary enabling factor for the changes in hand-washing behavior that were observed among the children. Sustained environmental change is possible in the preschool environment.
Authors: Verónica Violant-Holz; Carlota Rodríguez-Silva; María Carol; Manuel J Rodríguez Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2021-11-14 Impact factor: 3.295