A handwashing intervention in a low income community in the developing world reduced disease incidence in children

doi:10.1136/ebm.11.3.88

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Evidence-Based Medicine 2006;11:88; doi:10.1136/ebm.11.3.88
Copyright © 2006 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

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A handwashing intervention in a low income community in the developing world reduced disease incidence in children

Luby SP, Agboatwalla M, Feikin DR, et al. Effect of handwashing on child health: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2005;366:225-33.

Q In children who live in a low income community in the developing world, does handwashing reduce the incidence of acute respiratory infections, impetigo, and diarrhoea?

Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care $*$ $*$ $*$ $*$ $*$ $*$ ${star}$ Infectious disease $*$ $*$ $*$ $*$ $*$ $*$ ${star}$ Paediatrics $*$ $*$ $*$ $*$ $*$ ${star}$ ${star}$ Public health $*$ $*$ $*$ $*$ $*$ ${star}$ ${star}$

Key Words: diarrhoea • handwashing • impetigo • respiratory tract infections

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

METHODS
Design: cluster randomised controlled trial.

Allocation: {concealed^*}.

Blinding: unblinded.^*

Follow up period: 1 year.

Setting: adjoining squatter settlements in central Karachi, Pakistan.

Participants: 4691 children <15 years of age in 906 households in 36 neighbourhoods.Eligible households had $>=$ 2 children who were <15 years ofage (1 of whom was <5 y). Households that had previouslyreceived a soap or water vessel intervention were excluded.

Intervention: 25 neighbourhoods (3163 children) were allocated to handwashing,and 11 neighbourhoods (1528 children) were assigned to a controlgroup. Households within the handwashing group were allocatedto antibacterial soap (300 households, 1523 children) or plainsoap (300 households, 1640 children). Fieldworkers visited householdsin the handwashing group to discuss the importance of handwashing,to correct handwashing technique, and to encourage participantsto wash their hands. See www.evidence-basedmedicine.com forfurther details about the intervention.

Outcomes: acute respiratory infections (cough or difficulty breathing,congestion . . . [Full text of this article]

Kelechi E Nnoaham, MD

University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

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Glossary
Evid. Based Med. 2006 11: 95a. (in Glossary) [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]