ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES OF PERSONAL HYGIENE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BWARI AREA COUNCIL, FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY (FCT) - NIGERIA

TOPIC IS SUITABLE FOR:
1-Department of Public Health 
2-Department of Nursing Science 
3-Department of Community Health 
4-Department of Environmental Health

TOPIC: ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES OF PERSONAL HYGIENE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BWARI AREA COUNCIL, FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY (FCT) - NIGERIA

TABLE OF CONTENT
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Objective of the Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms 
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Conceptual Framework
2.2 Theoretical Framework
2.3 Empirical Review
2.4 Summary of Literature Reviewed
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Study Area
3.2 Population of the Study
3.3 Sample Size
3.4 Sampling Technique
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection
3.6 Validity of Instrument
3.7 Reliability of Instrument
3.8 Method of Data Collection
3.9 Method of Data Analysis
3.10 Ethical Consideration
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Data Presentation
4.2 Demographic Analysis 
4.3 Analysis of the Level of Knowledge of Personal Hygiene among Secondary School Students in Bwari Area Council
4.4 Analysis of the Attitudes of Secondary School Students towards Personal Hygiene Practices in Bwari Area Council
4.5 Analysis of the Personal Hygiene Practices Adopted by Secondary School Students in Bwari Area Council
4.6 Analysis of the Factors Influencing Students’ Attitudes and Practices of Personal Hygiene in Bwari Area Council
4.7 Test of Hypotheses
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
5.1 Discussion of Findings    
5.2 Implications of findings to nursing                            
5.3 Limitations of the study                            
5.4 Summary of the study 
5.5 Conclusion                                    
5.6 Recommendations                                 
5.7 Suggestions for further studies                                                                                                          
REFERENCES
APPENDIX

ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to examine the knowledge, attitude and practices of personal hygiene among secondary school students in Bwari Area Council, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. The study was specifically carried out to assess the level of knowledge of personal hygiene among secondary school students in Bwari Area Council, examine the attitudes of secondary school students towards personal hygiene practices in Bwari Area Council, determine the personal hygiene practices adopted by secondary school students in Bwari Area Council and examine the factors influencing students’ attitudes and practices of personal hygiene in Bwari Area Council. The study employed the descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised 24,150 senior secondary school students enrolled in secondary schools across Bwari Area Council for the 2025/2026 academic session, from which a validated sample size of 283 respondents was selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. The questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection, while the data collected were analyzed using frequency tables, percentages, means and standard deviations. The hypotheses were tested using Cross-Sectional Chi-Square statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. From the responses obtained and analyzed, the findings revealed that secondary school students possessed a moderate level of knowledge of personal hygiene, with over 68.9% of the respondents agreeing that regular handwashing helps prevent diseases. The study also revealed that the respondents demonstrated positive attitudes towards personal hygiene practices, as 68.9% agreed that maintaining personal hygiene is essential for good health. Furthermore, the findings indicated that students moderately practiced personal hygiene, with 69.3% agreeing that they take their bath regularly every day. The hypothesis testing further revealed that there was a significant relationship between the level of knowledge and the practice of personal hygiene among secondary school students at χ² = 52.84, P = .000, and a significant relationship between attitude and the practice of personal hygiene at χ² = 41.69, P = .000. The study therefore recommends that school authorities should strengthen personal hygiene education through regular health awareness programmes, while government should provide adequate water supply, sanitation facilities and hygiene materials to support healthy practices among students.
Keywords: Personal Hygiene, Knowledge, Attitude, Practices, Secondary School Students.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION (Preview)
1.1 Background of the Study
Health is universally recognized as a fundamental determinant of human capital development and societal advancement. It affects the learning ability, productivity and quality of life in a population. Increasingly, the current health and public health mentality has focused on the need to promote health behaviours as an effective way of preventing diseases and enhancing population health. According to Rocha et al. (2025), preventive health behaviours are deliberate actions, which people adopt to reduce exposure to health risks and improve life expectancy. In the same vein, Garcia et al. (2025) found that health-enhancing behaviours are influenced by a variety of environmental, social and cognitive factors that all contribute to an individual's health outcomes. In this context, educational environments have been recognized as an important place to incorporate health-related behaviours, in special in the adolescence period, which is a critical life transition. Jackson et al. (2023) stated that adolescence is a developmental period where behaviours that develop tend to carry over into adulthood. As such, health-related practices formed in this time have long-term consequences for the individual and community health outcomes.
Personal hygiene is one of the most critical aspects of behaviours for the prevention of communicable diseases, and therefore for good health, as it encompasses the most basic actions undertaken. Personal hygiene is the regular activities people do to maintain their personal health and to minimize contact with pathogenic microorganisms. According to Akande-Sholabi et al. (2021), personal hygiene is a group of self-care activities that involve washing hands regularly, bathing, taking care of the mouth and washing clothes and environment. Indeed, in a related point of view, Bleasdale et al. (2022) highlighted the importance of hygiene practices in breaking the chain of transmission of diseases, especially in crowded environments. These practices are not simply habit behaviours, but also involve a cognitive awareness and behavioural intention. However, Ikimi et al. (2021) underlined the importance of understanding hygiene principles at the individual level which greatly influences the consistency and correctness of hygienic practices. Hence, personal hygiene can considered as multidimensional construct, which combines knowledge, execution of the behavior and facilitation of the environment.
Personal hygiene practices will measure as much as the knowledge that individuals have and the attitudes that they have towards personal hygiene practices. Knowledge is defined as the amount of knowledge or information individuals know about hygiene and the health outcomes, whilst attitude is the evaluative orientation which influences the tendency of individuals to approach or avoid hygiene behaviours. Fagbule et al. (2023) noted that having proper knowledge about the health risk associated with hygiene would improve the adherence to recommended hygienic practices among adolescents. Similarly, Chukwuemeka et al., (2025) found that positive hygiene attitudes are significantly associated with the adoption of the hygiene practices by the respondents. Knowledge, attitude and practice are sometimes seen as an inter-dependent system where cognition affects perception and perception influences behaviour. Okolo and Nnamani (2025) reiterated the fact that those who possess right knowledge and favorable attitude towards hygiene are more likely to adopt right hygienic practices. Therefore, it is essential to take the dimensions together to have a broad view of behavioural determinants.
The secondary school is a significant target group for the field of personal hygiene because of the developmental phase of the students and their structured learning environment. Schools are not only a place for classroom learning, but also a setting in which behaviour and health habits are reinforced. According to Alade and Raymond (2025), one of the places where adolescents' health behaviour could be significantly influenced is in school, both formally through courses and informally by peer interactions. Students in this stage are more autonomous in making decisions regarding their personal care and hygiene behaviours are more salient for public health monitoring. Chukwuemeka et al. (2025) also highlighted the significant impact of school-based education within the school context and social environments on adolescent health behaviours. Thus, it is crucial to gain insights into students' behaviours related to hygiene for making health education decisions. Empirically, secondary school students constitute a heterogeneous group whose hygiene-related behaviors could be explained by the extent of their knowledge, attitude and practice, making the school a good choice of study area, especially in the context of Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
1.2   Statement of the Problem
Promoting personal hygiene among adolescents is an important aspect of school health education programs designed to enhance the overall health and well-being of students and minimize preventable health risks. Schools are expected to be structured places in which students are able to learn the right knowledge, have and cultivate a positive attitude and practice good health and hygiene all the time. Jackson et al., (2023) assert that the health behaviours developed during adolescence while in school tend to remain in the adult years, highlighting the importance of the school environment for health behaviour interventions. Rocha et al. (2025) also highlighted the importance of health behaviours as a way to maintain long-term population health outcomes as a prevention strategy. Secondary school pupils should have sufficient awareness and knowledge of hygiene and apply these in their day-to-day lives inside and outside the school. However this expectation will need to be evaluated based on evidence to see if students are adequately prepared with knowledge and behavioral orientation that will support proper hygiene practice.
Although personal hygiene is seen as an important aspect of health, there is a growing fear that many secondary school learners may not exhibit desirable personal hygiene-related knowledge, positive attitudes and appropriate practices consistently. According to Akande-Sholabi et al. (2021), awareness level of the individuals is one of the factors that significantly affect their personal hygiene practices, while Ikimi et al. (2021) revealed that inadequate awareness of the hygiene principles has an adverse effect on the behavioral outcome of an individual. In many school settings, there may be perceived or observed disconnects between the health knowledge and actual handwashing, oral care and general cleanliness practices of students. Bleasdale et al., (2022), further reported that inadequate hygiene practices also create susceptibility to infectious diseases, especially in the presence of a high number of people in schools. However, this gap in secondary schools in Bwari Area Council is not well documented and this leads to uncertainty of the actual behavioural pattern of secondary school students in Bwari Area Council.
Moreover, there is a lack of a well defined relationship between knowledge, attitude and practice of personal hygiene among secondary school learners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) especially in Bwari Area Council. Fagbule et al., (2023) added that knowledge alone is not necessarily enough to induce the right hygiene practice, and Chukwuemeka et al., (2025) reported that attitude is a very important factor that mediates the adoption of a behaviour. Okolo and Nnamani (2025) also pointed out that there are times when differences between knowledge and practice are attributable to gaps in contexts and behaviours, which need to be investigated locally. However, without adequate empirical evidence it is challenging for educators and health planners to develop effective interventions to target these inconsistencies in behaviour. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine the knowledge, attitude and practices of personal hygiene among the secondary school students in Bwari Area Council to identify the gaps and to give information that will be useful to design an effective school based personal hygiene interventions.
1.3 Objective of the Study
The study's overall purpose is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of personal hygiene among secondary school students in Bwari Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) - Nigeria. The study, on the other hand, was focused on achieving these precise goals:
1.Assess the level of knowledge of personal hygiene among secondary school students in Bwari Area Council.
2.Examine the attitudes of secondary school students towards personal hygiene practices in Bwari Area Council.
3.Determine the personal hygiene practices adopted by secondary school students in Bwari Area Council.
4.Examine factors influencing students’ attitudes and practices of personal hygiene in Bwari Area Council.
OTHER PARTS OF CHAPTER ONE INCLUDE:
1.4 Research Questions: 
1.5 Research Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE (Preview)
This chapter critically examines relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and, furthermore, recognizes the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps. This chapter, therefore, focuses on the concept of personal hygiene, types of personal hygiene practices, importance of personal hygiene among adolescents, level of knowledge of personal hygiene, attitudes towards personal hygiene practices, factors influencing students’ attitudes and practices of personal hygiene, etc. The chapter covers the following subheadings:
2.1 Conceptual Framework
2.2 Theoretical Framework
2.3 Empirical Review
2.4 Summary of Literature Review

CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY (Preview)
Research Design: The study adopted a descriptive research design.
Population of the Study: The population of the study comprises all senior secondary school students (SSS 1 to SSS 3) currently enrolled in secondary schools across the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, for the 2025/2026 academic session.
Sample Size Determination: The study adopted the Taro Yamane formula to determine a sample size of 298 participants
Sampling Technique: The study employed a multi-stage sampling technique to select the individual respondents.
Research Instrument: The study utilized a structured questionnaire as the instrument for data collection.
Methods of Data Analysis: The collected data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations to summarize and present the demographic characteristics of the respondents and their responses. Inferential statistics, such as Chi-square was used to test the hypotheses.

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS 
MAJOR FINDINGS (Preview)
The analysis results were presented in tables and charts. Based on the results obtained from the analysis, the following findings are made:
i. The study found that secondary school students in Bwari Area Council had a good level of knowledge of personal hygiene, as evidenced by the majority of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with the knowledge-related statements. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed a chi-square value (χ²) of 52.84, degree of freedom (df) of 1, and p-value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis and indicating a significant relationship between the level of knowledge and the practice of personal hygiene.
ii. The study found that secondary school students in Bwari Area Council had a positive attitude towards personal hygiene practices, as evidenced by the majority of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with the attitude-related statements. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed a chi-square value (χ²) of 41.69, degree of freedom (df) of 1, and p-value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis and indicating a significant relationship between attitude and the practice of personal hygiene.
iii. The study found that secondary school students in Bwari Area Council demonstrated generally good personal hygiene practices, as evidenced by the majority of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statements on handwashing, tooth brushing, bathing, nail care, wearing clean clothes, and proper waste disposal. The findings further indicated that good hygiene practices were more common among students with good knowledge and positive attitudes towards personal hygiene.
iv. The study found that several factors influenced the attitudes and practices of personal hygiene among secondary school students in Bwari Area Council, particularly parental or guardian influence, school-based health education, availability of water, sanitation facilities, peer influence, access to hygiene materials, and media information. Among these factors, availability of water and school-based health education recorded relatively high levels of agreement among the respondents, indicating their important roles in supporting students' personal hygiene practices.

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
This chapter covers the following outline:
5.1 Discussion of Findings 
5.2 Implication of the Findings
5.3. Limitations of the Study
5.4 Summary 
5.5 Conclusion
5.6 Recommendations
5.7 Suggestions for Further Studies
References
Appendix

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