Dataset Information

Hygiene practices among young adolescents aged 12-15 years in low- and middle-income countries: a population-based study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Poor personal hygiene increases disease risk, however, the prevalence of hygiene practices among adolescents is poorly described in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to assess the hygiene practices among young adolescents in LMICs using data from the Global School-based Student Health Surveys (GSHS).

Methods

This population-based study analysed the GSHS data for adolescents aged 12-15 years from 75 LMICs. Data were collected between 2003 and 2015 using standardised, anonymous, self-reported questionnaires. This report focuses on hygiene related behaviours such as tooth brushing, washing hands after using the toilet, washing hands before eating and washing hands with soap. The weighted prevalence and 95% confidential intervals (CIs) for the hygiene practices, and overall and regional estimates were calculated with random-effects meta-analysis.

Results

A total of 181?848 young adolescents from 75 LIMCs with available hygiene data were analysed. The overall prevalence for never washing hands were 7.4% (95% confidence interval (CI)?=?4.4-10.3) for before eating, 5.9% (95% CI?=?3.8-7.9) for after using the toilet, and 9.0% (95% CI?=?6.2-11.8) for with soap. For tooth brushing, the overall prevalence estimates were 8.6% (95% CI?=?5.5-11.7) for never brushing teeth, 80.9% (95% CI?=?74.7-87.1) for 1-3 times per day, and 9.7% (95% CI?=?5.8-13.6) for >3 times per day. However, the prevalence of different hygiene practices varied significantly among countries and regions (all P values <0.001). Poor hygiene status, with a prevalence >20%, was still observed in several LMICs (eg, 12 countries for never washing hands and 4 for never brushing teeth).

Conclusions

The hygiene practices of young adolescents aged 12-15 years were generally frequent, but poor status was still observed in several LMICs. These findings emphases the need for hygiene and health education targeting young adolescents in LMICs.

SUBMITTER: Han L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7719273 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Hygiene practices among young adolescents aged 12-15 years in low- and middle-income countries: a population-based study.

Han Liyuan L Gao Xuping X Liao Minqi M Yu Xiaoxuan X Zhang Ruijie R Liu Shiwei S Zeng Fangfang F

Journal of global health 20201201 2

<h4>Background</h4>Poor personal hygiene increases disease risk, however, the prevalence of hygiene practices among adolescents is poorly described in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to assess the hygiene practices among young adolescents in LMICs using data from the Global School-based Student Health Surveys (GSHS).<h4>Methods</h4>This population-based study analysed the GSHS data for adolescents aged 12-15 years from 75 LMICs. Data were collected between 2003 and 2015 using ...[more]

PMID: 33312503

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Project description:IntroductionSecondhand smoking (SHS) may be a risk factor for obesity in adolescence, but data on the association between SHS and obesity are scarce, especially from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the association between SHS and obesity among adolescents aged 12-15 years from 38 LMICs.MethodsCross-sectional data from 38 LMICs that participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) were analyzed. Body mass index was calculated based on measured weight and height. The 2007 WHO Child Growth reference was used to define obesity. SHS was categorized as no exposure, non-daily exposure (ie, 1-6 days), and daily exposure (ie, 7 days) based on the number of days exposed to secondhand smoke in the past 7 days. Multivariable logistic regression and meta-analyses were conducted to assess the associations.ResultsThe analyzed sample consisted of 88 209 adolescents aged 12-15 years who never smoked. The overall prevalence of non-daily and daily SHS was 34.2% and 15.7%, respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders, compared with no SHS, there was no significant association between non-daily SHS and obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.86-1.02), but adolescents who reported daily SHS were significantly more likely to have obesity (OR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.06-1.34).ConclusionsThe prevalence of SHS was high among adolescents in LMICs, and daily SHS was associated with a significant increase in odds of obesity. Future studies with longitudinal designs are warranted to assess causality and whether prevention of SHS can reduce the risk of obesity in adolescence.ImplicationsIn the present large multi-country study on adolescents aged 12-15 years from LMICs, nearly half of the students were exposed to non-daily or daily secondhand smoke. Overall, while non-daily SHS was not significantly associated with obesity, adolescents who reported daily SHS had a significant 1.19 (95% CI = 1.06-1.34) times higher odds of obesity than those who reported no exposure to secondhand smoke. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first multi-country study on SHS and obesity from LMICs, and also the largest study on this topic to date.

Dataset Information

Hygiene practices among young adolescents aged 12-15 years in low- and middle-income countries: a population-based study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Hygiene practices among young adolescents aged 12-15 years in low- and middle-income countries: a population-based study.

Similar Datasets

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