Comparison Between the Effect of Health Education Using Snakes and Ladders Game and Video on Handwashing with Soap Behavior of Elementary School Students

Abstract

The high incidence of diarrhea in school-age children is often associated with poor hand hygiene; therefore, an effective intervention is needed to encourage good handwashing with soap behavior in school-age children. This study aims to compare the effect of health education using snakes and ladders game and video on handwashing with soap behavior in elementary school students. This is an experimental study using a pre-test and post-test with a control group design. The study was conducted at SDN 2 and SDN 5 in the Bintang Sub-district, Central Aceh District, which have a high prevalence of diarrhea (37.84%) and poor handwashing behavior among students. The sample size was 30 people for each school, consisting of 10 students per intervention group selected by simple random sampling. Data analysis used the Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The results showed that there was a significant increase in the mean post-test score of knowledge, attitude, and practice compared to the pre-test score in the snakes and ladders game group, video group and control group (p<0.05). Among the interventions, only the use of the snakes and ladders game had a significant effect on knowledge in elementary school students compared to video (SDN 2, p=0.025; SDN 5, p=0.040). The health department should collaborate with schools to organize health education programs on handwashing with soap routinely for elementary school students. Schools are expected to strengthen the school health program and the role of little doctors to improve handwashing with soap behavior in elementary school students.