How to change and sustain hygiene behaviours: research in India

This paper investigates whether a hygiene intervention within community-based sanitation and water projects has an impact on behaviours that are measured many years (1 to 9 years) after the projects have ended. It further seeks to identify which elements of the interventions appear to be most effective for creating sustained behavioural change. An analysis is made of data from a cross-sectional study carried out in Kerala, southern India in 10 communities. The results show that the overall intervention, and in particular, the hygiene/sanitation classes are significantly associated several project outcomes such as handwashing practice of women, knowledge of the need for washing hands after defecation for health reasons, cleanliness of the household environment. No significant linkages were found between project variables and the handwashing and latrine practices of men which appears to reflect the fact that hygiene education activities were more oriented to women than men in the interventions. Other variables were tested such as the number of years since the project had ended in a community, improved access to water and the length of the intervention. None of these were significantly associated with the hygiene behaviours studied.