Evidence of Behaviour change following a hygiene promotion programme in Burkina Faso

• Published in: Bulletin of the World Health Organization Vol. 79; no. 6; pp. 518 - 527
• Main Authors: CURTIS, Valerie, KANKI, Bernadette, COUSENS, Simon, DIALLO, Ibrahim, KPOZEHOUEN, Alphonse, SANGARE, Morike, NIKIEMA, Michel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Genève Organisation mondiale de la santé 01.01.2001; World Health Organization; The World Health Organization
• Subjects: Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Burkina Faso; Burkina Faso - epidemiology; Child health; Child, Preschool; Communicable diseases; Communication; Curricula; Data Collection; Developing countries; Diarrhea; Diarrhea - epidemiology; Diarrhea - prevention & control; Diarrhea in children; Diarrhea/prevention and control; Disease prevention; Evaluation; Evidence-Based Medicine; Female; Hand Disinfection; Handwashing; Health; Health education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health policy; Health Policy & Services; Health promotion; Health Promotion - methods; Health Services Research; Humans; Hygiene; Hygiene - education; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Intervention; LDCs; Male; Maternal and infant welfare; Medical sciences; Mothers; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Prevention; Prevention and actions; Program Evaluation; Public health; Public health education; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Qualitative research; Schools; Specific populations (family, woman, child, elderly...); Toilet facilities; Womens health; Burkina Faso; Africa; Human; Evaluation; Sanitary program; Health promotion; Behavior change; Diarrhea; Washing; Hand; Prevention; Mother; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Female; Hygiene; Public health; Baños públicos; Handwashing; Lavado de manos; Diarrhée; Promotion santé; Toilettes publiques; Higiene; Burkina Faso; Hygiène; Data collection; Promoción de la salud; Diarrea; Toilet facilities; Lavage mains; Recolección de datos; Collecte données
• ISSN: 0042-9686; 1564-0604
• DOI: 10.1590/S0042-96862001000600007

To determine whether a large, 3-year hygiene promotion programme in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, was effective in changing behaviours associated with the spread of diarrhoeal diseases. The programme was tailored to local customs, targeted specific types of behaviour, built on existing motivation for hygiene, and used locally appropriate channels of communication. Two population surveys recorded the coverage of the programme among target audiences (mothers of children aged 0-35 months). Four surveys were carried out: three prior to the programme and one in 1998 (after the programme had been running for 3 years), using structured observation of hygiene behaviours in the participants' homes to document changes in target behaviours. After the programme had run for 3 years, three-quarters of the mothers targeted had had contact with programme activities. Half could cite the two main messages of the programme correctly. Although the safe disposal of children's stools changed little between 1995 and 1998 (80% pre-intervention, 84% post-intervention), hand-washing with soap after cleaning a child's bottom rose from 13% to 31%. The proportion of mothers who washed their hands with soap after using the latrine increased from 1% to 17%. Hygiene promotion programmes can change behaviour and are more likely to be effective if they are built on local research and use locally appropriate channels of communication repeatedly and for an extended time.