Background: Ethiopia alone carries 49% of the global burden of trachoma, associated with a lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and poor health practices. The aim of this study was to examine whether gamification among schoolchildren and promotion of local ownership of school WASH is associated with healthy behaviors and WASH infrastructure improvements.
Methods: Application of the Accelerate gamification intervention for elimination of trachoma, with an emphasis on gamification among schoolchildren and community involvement in motivating face-washing, handwashing and functional use of latrines, was undertaken.
Results: At baseline, students were observed washing their hands after using latrines in 23 (10.3%) schools. This increased to 132 (59%) schools (p≤0.001) at follow-up. The number of latrines increased from 585 at baseline to 594 at follow-up (p=0.031). The availability of handwashing stations in schools increased from 31 (13.9%) with water access (8%) and soap (5%) to 155 (69.5%) schools with handwashing stations with water access in 153 (98.7%) (p<0.001) and soap in 121 (78%) (p<0.001).
Conclusions: Motivational strategies such as gamification among schoolchildren and promotion of local ownership of school WASH may be associated with healthy behaviors and WASH infrastructure improvements.
BT - International Health DO - 10.1093/inthealth/ihad081 IS - Supplement_2 LA - Eng N2 -Background: Ethiopia alone carries 49% of the global burden of trachoma, associated with a lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and poor health practices. The aim of this study was to examine whether gamification among schoolchildren and promotion of local ownership of school WASH is associated with healthy behaviors and WASH infrastructure improvements.
Methods: Application of the Accelerate gamification intervention for elimination of trachoma, with an emphasis on gamification among schoolchildren and community involvement in motivating face-washing, handwashing and functional use of latrines, was undertaken.
Results: At baseline, students were observed washing their hands after using latrines in 23 (10.3%) schools. This increased to 132 (59%) schools (p≤0.001) at follow-up. The number of latrines increased from 585 at baseline to 594 at follow-up (p=0.031). The availability of handwashing stations in schools increased from 31 (13.9%) with water access (8%) and soap (5%) to 155 (69.5%) schools with handwashing stations with water access in 153 (98.7%) (p<0.001) and soap in 121 (78%) (p<0.001).
Conclusions: Motivational strategies such as gamification among schoolchildren and promotion of local ownership of school WASH may be associated with healthy behaviors and WASH infrastructure improvements.
PB - Oxford University Press (OUP) PY - 2023 SP - ii38 EP - ii43 T2 - International Health TI - Motivating school communities towards behavior change and local ownership: a gamification intervention to prevent trachoma at primary schools in southern Ethiopia UR - https://academic.oup.com/inthealth/article-pdf/15/Supplement_2/ii38/53979166/ihad081.pdf VL - 15 SN - 1876-3413, 1876-3405 ER -