Knowledge and practice of hygiene in BRAC's WASH Programme areas

Improved hygiene behaviour is one of the most effective means of reducing disease occurrence. However, question may arise, which factors did contribute to such improvement? Past studies seldom addressed these issues systematically nor explained the influencing factors that facilitate or impede hy...

Descrición completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Main Authors: Akter, Tahera, Ali, ARM Mehrab
Formato: Research report
Idioma:English
Publicado: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED) 2019
Subjects:
Acceso en liña:http://hdl.handle.net/10361/13164
id 10361-13164
record_format dspace
spelling 10361-131642019-12-02T21:01:06Z Knowledge and practice of hygiene in BRAC's WASH Programme areas Akter, Tahera Ali, ARM Mehrab Sanitation BRAC WASH BRAC Hygiene Sanitation--Health aspects Environmental health. Hygiene Health, Nutrition, and Population Program (BRAC) Improved hygiene behaviour is one of the most effective means of reducing disease occurrence. However, question may arise, which factors did contribute to such improvement? Past studies seldom addressed these issues systematically nor explained the influencing factors that facilitate or impede hygiene knowledge and practice from the perspectives of successful and unsuccessful households. This study, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, measured the changes in knowledge and practice of hygiene and explored factors that facilitate or impede hygiene behaviours in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) intervention areas of BRAC. Indepth interviews were conducted with 144 purposively selected women. Some of their practices were physically verified to get the proof of their claims. Besides, 30,000 systematically chosen households studied in the baseline were revisited in the midline survey for collecting quantitative data. Results on common variables investigated through both quantitative and qualitative approaches were triangulated. Findings show that respondent's hygiene behaviours were mainly facilitated by improved knowledge and awareness about health and environment-related issues. BRAC's financial assistance had positive impact on latrine ownership resulting in increased privacy and dignity of the households. Latrine or tubewell ownership also increased their social prestige and sense of responsibility. In this regard, maintaining hygiene behaviours for healthy life was perceived as everybody's responsibility. On the other hand, lack of interest in attending cluster meeting, traditional knowledge, poverty, difficulties in carrying water, location of latrine, lack of will to practice, and complex mind-set were the impeding factors to hygiene knowledge and practice. Mainly the psychosocial aspects made the difference between successful and unsuccessful households, as successful households followed hygiene behaviours irrespective of poverty and other barriers. To increase awareness to a further extent and to transform knowledge into practice and practice into habit, more cluster meetings ensuring participation of all including children and home visits by the programme organizers are imperative. 2019-12-02T05:58:05Z 2019-12-02T05:58:05Z 2011-12 Research report Akter, T., & Ali, A. M. (2011, December). Knowledge and practice of hygiene in BRAC’s WASH Programme areas. Research Reports (2011): Health Studies, Vol - XLIII, 149–179. http://hdl.handle.net/10361/13164 en application/pdf BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED)
institution Brac University
collection Institutional Repository
language English
topic Sanitation
BRAC WASH
BRAC
Hygiene
Sanitation--Health aspects
Environmental health.
Hygiene
Health, Nutrition, and Population Program (BRAC)
spellingShingle Sanitation
BRAC WASH
BRAC
Hygiene
Sanitation--Health aspects
Environmental health.
Hygiene
Health, Nutrition, and Population Program (BRAC)
Akter, Tahera
Ali, ARM Mehrab
Knowledge and practice of hygiene in BRAC's WASH Programme areas
description Improved hygiene behaviour is one of the most effective means of reducing disease occurrence. However, question may arise, which factors did contribute to such improvement? Past studies seldom addressed these issues systematically nor explained the influencing factors that facilitate or impede hygiene knowledge and practice from the perspectives of successful and unsuccessful households. This study, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, measured the changes in knowledge and practice of hygiene and explored factors that facilitate or impede hygiene behaviours in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) intervention areas of BRAC. Indepth interviews were conducted with 144 purposively selected women. Some of their practices were physically verified to get the proof of their claims. Besides, 30,000 systematically chosen households studied in the baseline were revisited in the midline survey for collecting quantitative data. Results on common variables investigated through both quantitative and qualitative approaches were triangulated. Findings show that respondent's hygiene behaviours were mainly facilitated by improved knowledge and awareness about health and environment-related issues. BRAC's financial assistance had positive impact on latrine ownership resulting in increased privacy and dignity of the households. Latrine or tubewell ownership also increased their social prestige and sense of responsibility. In this regard, maintaining hygiene behaviours for healthy life was perceived as everybody's responsibility. On the other hand, lack of interest in attending cluster meeting, traditional knowledge, poverty, difficulties in carrying water, location of latrine, lack of will to practice, and complex mind-set were the impeding factors to hygiene knowledge and practice. Mainly the psychosocial aspects made the difference between successful and unsuccessful households, as successful households followed hygiene behaviours irrespective of poverty and other barriers. To increase awareness to a further extent and to transform knowledge into practice and practice into habit, more cluster meetings ensuring participation of all including children and home visits by the programme organizers are imperative.
format Research report
author Akter, Tahera
Ali, ARM Mehrab
author_facet Akter, Tahera
Ali, ARM Mehrab
author_sort Akter, Tahera
title Knowledge and practice of hygiene in BRAC's WASH Programme areas
title_short Knowledge and practice of hygiene in BRAC's WASH Programme areas
title_full Knowledge and practice of hygiene in BRAC's WASH Programme areas
title_fullStr Knowledge and practice of hygiene in BRAC's WASH Programme areas
title_full_unstemmed Knowledge and practice of hygiene in BRAC's WASH Programme areas
title_sort knowledge and practice of hygiene in brac's wash programme areas
publisher BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED)
publishDate 2019
url http://hdl.handle.net/10361/13164
work_keys_str_mv AT aktertahera knowledgeandpracticeofhygieneinbracswashprogrammeareas
AT aliarmmehrab knowledgeandpracticeofhygieneinbracswashprogrammeareas
_version_ 1814307480802426880