02217nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260001900042653005700061653001400118653003400132653003300166653001600199653001700215100001500232700001200247700001500259700001400274700001400288700001400302700001200316700001300328245011400341856010300455520135600558022002501914       2023                            d  bIWA Publishing10aPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health10aPollution10aWaste Management and Disposal10aWater Science and Technology10aDevelopment10aHand washing1 aBishoge OK1 aOmary M1 aLiheluka E1 aMshana JM1 aNguyamu M1 aMbatia YJ1 aNjee RM1 aKafuye M00aHand hygiene practices among primary and secondary school students in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review  uhttps://iwaponline.com/washdev/article-pdf/doi/10.2166/washdev.2023.222/1337733/washdev2023222.pdf3 a<p>The purpose of this study was to comprehensively appraise and synthesize studies on hand hygiene practices among primary and secondary school students in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This is a thorough review of scientific papers published between 2015 and 2023 from primary databases such as the Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The review criteria were met by 26 out of 63 studies assessed for legibility. The review demonstrated that students in SSA had moderate and good hand washing practices in terms of regular hand washing, cleaning hands after defecation, and before and after eating. Furthermore, the review pinpoints hand washing practices as influenced by factors such as knowledge, hand washing facilities and materials, influences from parents and teachers or others, personal and social factors, media, gender, age, and other factors such as location, attitudes, and school modernity. Furthermore, the reviewed studies highlighted recommendations for improving hand hygiene practices, such as enhancing hand hygiene and environmental health education, mobilizing resources for hand washing, creating and implementing health policy, and conducting further studies. This review provides data for policymakers on how to improve student hand hygiene and adds to existing knowledge on hand hygiene practices.</p>
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