CHAPTER ONE

                                               GENERAL      INTRODUCTION

. 1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The word hygiene comes from Hygeia, the Greek goddess of health,  who was the daughter of Aesculapius, the god of medicine. Since the arrival of the Industrial Revolution (c.1750-1850) and the discovery of the germ theory of disease in the second half of the nineteenth century, hygiene and sanitation have been at the forefront of the struggle against illness and disease.(C N Trueman’)The concept of hygiene dates back to the time when first man has moved into the caves to protect himself from forces of nature that act against his survival. The known religious leader prophet Moses and prophet Mohammed have stated to their followers to wash their body before religious practice and even before meal. This practice is more probably true to other religion and sects of the world . our parents even before our school days have thought us the importance of hygiene at a household level and we all are trained to have a certain manner so that hygiene is maintained depending on the level of understanding of the community. Therefore  the concept of hygiene as an art is as old as the history of mankind although nowadays it has been recoginised as a science on it’s own.

According to World Health Organization (2011), it is important to make sure that information about health is accessible in public places. Such information should be made available in an eye-catching, uncomplicated and accurate fashion. Where appropriate, large posters, containing bright colors and well-chosen messages pertaining to health and hygiene, should be displayed in public places for the general education of the public. School children and college students could be involved in preparing educational posters and notices for display in public places. Poster messages should include the promotion of :Hand washing , use of refuse bins , Care of toilet facilities, Protection of water supplies. According to Skelton (2007) women’s hygienic practices are particularly important since  they are care-givers who prepare food for others, clean for others and implement  personal hygiene for children. Women run the greatest risk of spreading germs and disease to others. For them hand washing is vital, particularly for mothers. Women need to wash their hands many times during the day; good habits should be established to maintain personal and family hygiene, as well as caring for one’s hands. According to eHow.com (2011) a person’s personal hygiene can affect other  peoples. People who do not wash their hands can spread infections and viruses to others. Personal hygiene entails bathing regularly, keeping hair clean, trimming finger nails and toe nails, brushing teeth and using deodorant. Personal hygiene can enhance a person’s self-confidence and improve the chances of success in many area of life. People who do not bathe regularly are more susceptible to fungus infections, such as jock itch, athlete’s foot or fungal toenail infections. A lack of oral hygiene can cause fungus infections such as oral thrush. Those who fail to wash their hands regularly are more prone to contracting viral or bacterial infections

Approximately 18 million South Africans do not have access to adequate hygiene. This problem is not unique to South Africa. It is challenging in most developing  countries. Unhygienic practices affect the quality of life and in many cases can result in diseases, which for many families, can be an additional financial and health burden as well as pose potential exposure and increased risks related to personal safety. The impact of unhygienic practices on the health of the community is extremely serious. For example many  cases of diarrhoea in children under the age of five, and cholera outbreaks, are witnessed annually on the continent of Africa (Phaswana & Shukla, 2005)Other health problems associated with unsafe hygienic practices include diarrhoeal diseases, intestinal infections, poliomyelitis, typhoid, bilharzia, malaria, worms, eye infections, skin diseases and increased risk for bacteria, infections and diseases in people with weakened immune systems due to the human immune deficiency virus(HIV) and/or the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Environmental problems associated with unsafe hygienic practices include dispersed and diffuse pollution of water sources resulting in a water and fecal disease cycle for communities with untreated water supplies (Phaswana and Shukla, 2005).

Hygiene is the maintenance of healthy practices which is commonly regarded as a reference to ’cleanliness’. Outward signs of good hygiene include the absence of visible dirt, dust and stains on clothing, or bad smells. Since the development of the germ theory of disease, hygiene has come to mean any practice leading to the absence of harmful levels of germs. Good hygiene promotes health, beauty, comfort and social interaction. Good hygiene directly helps to prevent and isolate disease. This means that if you are healthy to begin with, good hygiene will help you to prevent illness. If you are sick, good hygiene can reduce your contagiousness to others (WordIQ.com, 2010)Hygiene is an important issue in personal deportment, i.e. in taking care of oneself other physically and emotionally. People often have infections because they do not take good care of themselves physically, such condition that can produce emotional difficulties as well. Good hygiene includes the practice of regularly and thoroughly washing one’s hands and body, brushing one’s hair, flossing the teeth and caring for gums. These grooming habits will reduce vulnerability to harmful bacteria that reside on thehe body. While some bacteria are harmless and even beneficial to the body, the accumulation of bacteria can endanger a person’s health(Money Instructor (2005).

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMEN

Several studies have shown that poor personal hygiene contributes to cross transmission of microorganism, gum infection, increase rate of infectious illnesses, incidence of food bone out break and reproductive tract infections. This have been attributed to inadequate knowledge of personal hygiene and its practices. Poor personal hygiene  have been found to be a serious public health problem in developing countries like Nigeria and people often affecting students. Moreover to the best of my knowledge , limited studies focused on young students have been found in the literature and the is no formal studies conducted concerning personal hygiene knowledge of secondary school students. Therefore this study is aim to investigate the knowledge of the effect of poor personal hygiene amongst secondary school students

1.3. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: 

 The purose of the study was to find out the effect of poor personal hygiene knowledge and practices among secondary school student in the molyko community BUEA.

1.4.RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

       1.4.1. General Objective:

To Investigate the knowledge of the effect of poor personal hygiene among secondary  students in the Molyko community

         1.4.2. Specific Objectives

1. To assess the knowledge on the effect of poor personal hygiene among secondary school student in the Molyko community
2. To assess the knowledge of students in the Molyko community with regard to hygiene related diseases
3. To identify challenges face in maintaining effective personal hygiene among secondary school students in the Molyko community

  1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What knowledge do secondary school students have on the effect of poor personal hygiene in the Molyko community
2. What knowledge do students have with regards to Hygiene Related diseases
3. What are the challenges faced by secondary school students on maintaining personal hygiene within the Molyko community