Analysis of personal hygiene amongst backward area vs capital city girls: impact of short term intervention in Himachal Pradesh, India

INTRODUCTION:  With the objective to evaluate to personal hygiene status among the girls living in most backward areas of Shimla district vs. girls in City both pre and post short term educational intervention by medical undergraduates. As the adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable and most will be married off in next five years. Their attitude and practices will influence the behavioral change in next generation or so.

METHODS: A cross sectional study from September 2011 to October 2013 among  752 adolescent  girls in 3 staged clustered sampled school girls of Shimla District vs schools in  most backward areas; after prior permission/consent from education department & PTA (Parent teacher association). Pretested, self-administered study tool implemented both pre & post imparting the basic hygiene education (even to non-participants).

RESULTS: Pre intervention: overall difference in backward vs urban schools showed p value < 0.0001 with Risk Ratio as 3.8 & CI of 2.2-3.9.; posttest overall difference came down to having RR as 1.2 & CI 1.0-1.7 but still p value as 0.04. On studying factors in regression model influencing their overall status in both urban vs most backward area school girls after controlling for all confounders were: assess to modern media (RR- 5.2, CI 4.4-5.6),having elder siblings(RR- 3.0, CI 2.2-5.0)better socio economic status (measured using local scales differently for both urban and rural area) (RR-2.9, CI 2.6-3.2).

CONCLUSIONS:  These kind of programs should be a regular thing in every school. We recommend that each medical graduate in their internship period should visit a different school individually to impart knowledge after coordinating with officials (who should provide with all necessary logistics/ or arrange) as the health camps are organized. This posting should be included as a compulsory part in internship.