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Abstract
Background: Personal hygiene is defined as the science of healthy living, encompassing daily activities that contribute to an individual’s health and well-being. While deficiency in hygiene remains a major public health concern in developing countries, there is limited local data focusing specifically on the youth population. This study aimed to assess the demographic profile and knowledge level regarding personal hygiene among students.
Objective: This study is to assess the demographic profile and level of knowledge regarding personal hygiene among undergraduate Allied Health Sciences students in Nawabshah.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 278 respondents. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire covering demographic information and a knowledge assessment of ten hygiene-related variables and analyzed using SPSS version 25.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.33 years (SD± 1.456). The majority of respondents was from the DPT department (43.5%), followed by BSN (31.3%), and was in their 4th year of study (36.3%). Most belonged to the middle class (83.1%) and resided in urban areas (53.6%). Assessment of knowledge revealed that 98.9% of respondents possessed "Good Knowledge" of personal hygiene. High awareness was specifically noted for hand washing after using the toilet (96.4%) and before/after eating (96.0%). However, slight gaps were identified regarding traditional practices, such as the healthy use of broomsticks for tooth-cleaning (65.1%).
Conclusion: The study demonstrates an exceptionally high level of hygiene knowledge among health science students. This level of awareness is critical, as better hygiene knowledge is linked to reduced absenteeism and improved academic performance. Future strategic planning should focus on translating this high theoretical knowledge into consistent daily practices.