School-Based Hand Washing Stations and Pupil Hygiene Practices in Urban South Africa: A Two-Month Intervention Study

Urban South Africa faces challenges in maintaining high levels of hygiene among school-aged children, particularly regarding hand washing practices. A longitudinal study design was employed to assess changes in hand washing frequency and adherence to personal hygiene routines among pupils exposed to newly installed hand washing facilities. Data analysis revealed an increase in the proportion of pupils performing hand washing correctly from baseline (25%) to post-intervention period (40%), with a marginally significant effect size (p = .03). The intervention successfully enhanced pupil hygiene practices, particularly in hand washing routines. Schools should consider permanent installation of hand washing facilities as part of broader health and hygiene education programmes. Hand Washing Stations, Pupil Hygiene Practices, Urban School Environment, South Africa Treatment effect was estimated with logit(pᵢ)=β₀+β^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.