Nudging Handwashing: a Cluster-randomized Trial in Bangladesh

Summary

The study will collect and analyze quantitative data regarding handwashing behaviors among school-aged children to determine the impact of nudges compared to handwashing and hygiene education programs.

Based on the success of the preliminary pilot, we hypothesize nudges leading to higher rates of handwashing than traditional handwashing and hygiene education programs.

Conditions

• Hand Disinfection

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Early handwashing station

A handwashing station will be a dedicated location for handwashing in each selected school and will include: 1. A raised concrete platform (built to child height) 2. A plastic container with a lid and spigot 3. Soap The early handwashing stations will be constructed in weeks 1 and 2 of the study, after the baseline observations (Phase I) are complete.

BEHAVIORAL

Late handwashing station

A handwashing station will be a dedicated location for handwashing in each selected school and will include: 1. A raised concrete platform (built to child height) 2. A plastic container with a lid and spigot 3. Soap The late handwashing stations construction will begin after Phase 2 data collection has been finished at the end of week 3.

BEHAVIORAL

Nudge

A nudge will be built in each randomly selected school and will consist of: 1. Connecting latrines to the handwashing station via paved pathways that are painted bright colors 2. Painting footprints on infrastructure guiding students to the handwashing stations and handprints on stations The nudges will be constructed at the end of week 3 and 4, after Phase II data collection is complete within each randomly assigned nudge school.

BEHAVIORAL

Education

Hand hygiene education-based program: the hygiene promotion element will include a one month program of handwashing education involving weekly facilitator led sessions. Each session will be about 30-45 minutes long, and will cover the following topics: * Importance of handwashing * Method of handwashing * Critical times of handwashing * Finding solutions for handwashing in school and at home The sessions will involve use of flipcharts, and other IEC materials (e.g. videos) and participative learning methods. The Hand hygiene education-based program will begin at the beginning of weeks 4 and 5, after Phase II data collection is complete in each randomly assigned education school.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Save the Children

  collaborator OTHER

• University at Buffalo

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Oklahoma

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kamal Hossain · Save the Children

• Mohini Venkatesh · Save the Children

• Pavani K Ram, MD · University at Buffalo

• Elise N Grover, MSPH · University of Oklahoma

• Robert Dreibelbis, PhD · University of Oklahoma

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2016-03-31

Primary Completion

2016-08-31

Completion

2016-08-31

Countries

• Bangladesh

Study Locations