GENERAL HYGIENE PRACTICES AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ENUGU EDUCATION ZONE, ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the general hygiene practices among secondary school students in Enugu 
Education Zone, Enugu state, Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study and three null 
hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted the descriptive survey research 
design. The population of the study was 13,226 senior secondary school students in Enugu state. A 
sample of 200 secondary school students was drawn for the study using a multistage sampling procedure 
involving stratified, disproportionate and accidental sampling techniques. The instruments for data 
collection were Hygiene Practices in Secondary School Questionnaire (HPSSQ) validated by three 
experts. The reliability of HPSSQ was established using Cronbach’s Alpha which yielded a coefficient 
of 0.75. The data relating to research questions were answered using weighted response average while 
the hypotheses were tested using t-test. The findings of the study revealed among others that secondary 
school students in Enugu Education zone indulge in hand washing, food and body hygiene practice to 
a high extent. No significant difference was observed in the mean ratings of male and female students 
on hand, food and washing hygiene practice in Enugu Education Zone. Male and female students 
however differed significantly on their body hygiene practice in Enugu Education Zone. It was 
concluded that secondary students exhibit highly comprehensive hand washing, food and body hygiene, 
demonstrating successful hygiene education that has been adopted equally by both male and female 
students without gender disparity. It was therefore recommended that school authorities and the state 
government should prioritize the consistent provision and maintenance of handwashing facilities, 
including clean water, soap, and hand drying options, in all schools to sustain the reported high level of 
practice. Awareness campaigns should be sustained to reinforce the importance hygiene practices.