AUDIENCE KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS AND PRACTICE OF HANDWASHING MEDIA CAMPAIGNS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study examines audience knowledge, awareness and practice of hand washing media campaign messages in Anambra State, Nigeria. Using the triangulation method of survey and focus group discussion (FGD), three hundred and eighty-four respondents for the survey and thirty participants for FGD were selected for the study. Multi-staged sampling method was used to randomly select three culturally homogenous communities in Anambra State. Findings of the study show that majority of the respondents are exposed to hand washing with soap (HWWS) media campaign messages. They have knowledge of the skills of hand washing with soap/ash and it is largely practiced by the respondents. However, they still face a lot of challenges to the practice ranging from distance between the toilet and source of water, lack of soap, and lack of designated place for hand washing, time and fatigue amongst others. It was recommended that more efforts are still needed to improve hand washing practices using properly designed health intervention messages like effective hand washing education and provision of water supply and soap which will address the identified barriers in Anambra State.