Slekiene Jurgita, Mosler Hans-Joachim
EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Environmental Social Sciences, Environmental and Health Psychology, Überlandstrasse 133, P.O. Box 611, -8600, Dübendorf, CH, Switzerland.
BMC Public Health. 2017 Aug 1;18(1):82. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4638-4.
Although diarrheal diseases are preventable and treatable, they are the leading cause of child mortality and morbidity as a consequence of poor hygiene and contaminated water. Handwashing with soap is an effective method for preventing and decreasing the incidence of diarrhea. However, mental disorders such as depression can substantially moderate an individual's ability to cope with daily life and can exert a negative influence on daily hygiene activities such as handwashing with soap, especially in children. The aim of this study was to explain the influence of depression on pupils' hand-washing behavior in Zimbabwe.
In a cross-sectional study, face-to-face interviews were carried out with primary school pupils in peri-urban Harare, Zimbabwe (n = 556) using a quantitative questionnaire to assess handwashing and its behavioral determinants in school settings. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) was used to assess depression.
More than half of the assessed children were depressed. Self-reported handwashing with soap among depressed children was significantly lower than among non-depressed children. Almost all behavioral determinants of hand-washing behavior were significantly lower in depressed children. The behavioral determinants worked differently in the depressed children than in the non-depressed children's group. The effects of important behavioral determinants on handwashing were moderated by depression.
Depression exerts a negative influence on handwashing in children. These results suggest depression-relieving measures should be conducted together with any water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions to make such interventions more effective.
尽管腹泻疾病是可预防和可治疗的，但由于卫生条件差和水污染，它们仍是儿童死亡和发病的主要原因。用肥皂洗手是预防和降低腹泻发病率的有效方法。然而，抑郁症等精神障碍会严重影响个人应对日常生活的能力，并会对诸如用肥皂洗手等日常卫生活动产生负面影响，尤其是在儿童中。本研究的目的是解释抑郁症对津巴布韦小学生洗手行为的影响。
在一项横断面研究中，对津巴布韦哈拉雷城郊的小学生（n = 556）进行了面对面访谈，使用定量问卷评估学校环境中的洗手情况及其行为决定因素。采用儿童流行病学研究中心抑郁量表（CES-DC）评估抑郁症。
超过一半的被评估儿童患有抑郁症。抑郁症儿童中自我报告的用肥皂洗手的比例显著低于非抑郁症儿童。抑郁症儿童中几乎所有洗手行为的决定因素都显著更低。洗手行为的决定因素在抑郁症儿童中的作用与在非抑郁症儿童组中的作用不同。抑郁症会调节重要行为决定因素对洗手的影响。
抑郁症对儿童洗手有负面影响。这些结果表明，应在开展任何水、环境卫生和个人卫生（WASH）干预措施的同时采取缓解抑郁的措施，以使这些干预措施更有效。
