Effectiveness of a Handwashing Programme in the Prevention of School Absenteeism Due to Respiratory Infections

School absenteeism due to respiratory infections is one of the greatest problems in schools. Its high incidence and easy transmission among pupils have a great impact requiring a vast number of medical visits, hospitalisations, use of antibiotic and antipyretic treatments, symptomatic medication, etc. besides being a cause for school absenteeism and time off work for parents. Hand- washing is the most important and effective measure to prevent the transmission of infections. The investigators evaluated the effectiveness of a hand-washing programme using hand sanitizer in the prevention of school absenteeism due to upper respiratory infections.

A cluster randomised, controlled and open study of 2 cohorts of primary school children between the ages of 4 and 12, attending 5 Public Schools in a geographic area of the Almería province (Spain). This study was carried out throughout the 8 months of an academic year (October 2009 to May 2010). The experimental group washed their hands with soap and water, complemented with hand sanitizer, while the control group followed usual hand washing. The parents of both groups completed the survey on sociodemographic characteristics and questions about hand hygiene referred to when and how their children wash their hands Progenitors of children who were absent from school collected upper respiratory infections symptoms and handed in the completed form to the teacher. One Research assistant collected the absence sheets of the participating classes weekly, telephoned the parents of absent children to enquire about the cause of their absence, visited the classrooms and collaborated with the teachers in hand hygiene related activities.

Inclusion criteria

• School children between the ages of 4 and 12 years old, enrolled in the above mentioned public schools,
• The parents/tutors signed an agreement after being informed of its content.

Exclusion criteria

• Children with absenteeism due to a different cause from upper respiratory infections
• Children with chronic illnesses that could affect their likelihood of contracting an infection or the duration of their period of absence from school
• Children whose parents did not authorise their participation in the study.