Background: Health will affect quality of life, educational achievements, and economic productivity. Childhood behaviors continue in adulthood, especially health-related ones such as personal hygiene practices and habits acquired in childhood.
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the practices regarding personal hygiene among the government high schoolchildren in rural field practice area of S S Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Institute, Davangere, Karnataka, and to determine the factors associated with it.
Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study done in two government high schools in Lokikere PHC area in Davangere during January to February 2017. Self-administered questionnaire assessing practices regarding personal hygiene was used.
Results: A total of 213 students participated in the study, and Good Hygiene practices were followed by 42.3% of the students. Girls comparatively had better hygiene practices than boys and higher maternal education had better hygiene practices. Students who had awareness regarding diseases transmitted by poor personal hygiene had better hygiene practices.
Conclusion: Good hygiene practices were seen in less than half of the students and needed constant health education and reinforcement about personal hygiene to these school children.
Key words: Personal Hygiene; Practices; Knowledge; High School children
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