Evaluation of a Handwashing Promotion Program in Chinese Elementary Schools

Communicable Diseases Clinical Trial

Official title:

Evaluation of a Handwashing Promotion Program in Chinese Elementary Schools

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00140335
• Other study ID #: CDC-NCID-4427
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• First received: August 30, 2005
• Last updated: March 8, 2010
• Start date: December 2004
• Est. completion date: June 2005

Study information

• Verified date: March 2010
• Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Federal Government
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of a commercial hand washing promotion program on hygiene knowledge, attitudes, and practices, and on health outcomes such as reported infectious illnesses and school absences.

Description:

Diarrheal and respiratory diseases cause 3.8 million deaths annually among children in the developing world. Reduced rates of these diseases have been measured during intensive, home-based handwashing interventions. We evaluated a school-based handwashing program for 1st grade students to determine whether a more scalable intervention could also reduce illness rates, and impact hygiene knowledge and attitudes.

Thirty schools from each of 3 counties in Fujian Province, China, were randomized to one of the following groups: a) control; b) standard intervention, which included a handwashing program (1 hour of hygiene instruction and 1 soap sample kit per pupil); or c) expanded intervention, which included the handwashing program, soap for school sinks and 1 peer hygiene monitor per class. Teachers collected illness symptom information from students weekly and recorded student absences daily between January and April, 2005. Mean illness and absence rates were calculated for each school. Students were given a knowledge, attitudes, and practices questionnaire before the intervention and again 5 months later.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 5000
• Est. completion date: June 2005
• Est. primary completion date: June 2005
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 4 Years to 12 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• school has running water

Exclusion Criteria:

• school has not previously received commercial handwashing promotion program

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Prevention

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Communicable Diseases
• Infection

Intervention

Behavioral:
• handwashing

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
China	Fujian Province CDC	Fuzhou	Fujian

Sponsors (4)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, China, Fujian Province CDC, Procter and Gamble

Country where clinical trial is conducted

China, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	student illness rates
Primary	student absence rates
Secondary	teacher illness rate
Secondary	changes in student hygiene knowledge
Secondary	changes in student hygiene attitudes
Secondary	changes in school water use