The Relationship Between Handwashing Behavior and the Incidence of Diarrhea Among Students at SD GMIM 54 Lapangan, Mapanget District, Manado City

Abstract

Health problems in school-aged children are often related to behaviors that contribute to the spread of germs. One common example is the habit of not washing hands before and after eating or after using the toilet. When children do not wash their hands, bacteria can enter the body through the food they consume. This study aims to determine the relationship between handwashing behavior and the incidence of diarrhea among students at SD GMIM 54 Lapangan, Mapanget District, Manado City. This is a quantitative study using a cross-sectional approach conducted on 50 randomly selected samples. Data were collected using a validated and reliable questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using the Chi-Square test with a significance level of α = 0.05. The Chi-Square test results showed a significant relationship between handwashing knowledge and the incidence of diarrhea (p = 0.000 < 0.05). There was also a significant relationship between handwashing attitudes and the incidence of diarrhea (p = 0.000 < 0.05). Moreover, there was a significant relationship between handwashing behavior and the incidence of diarrhea (p = 0.000 < 0.05). The conclusion of this study indicates that there is a significant relationship between handwashing behavior and the incidence of diarrhea among students at SD GMIM 54 Lapangan. This suggests that hygienic behavior, especially handwashing, plays an important role in preventing diarrheal diseases among school-aged children.