Articles

Association Between Personal Hygiene Practices and Scabies-Like Symptoms Among Students Living in a Sports School Dormitory in Kupang, Indonesia: A Cross-Sectional Study

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Background: Scabies is a contagious skin disease with a high prevalence in communal living environments such as dormitories. Although personal hygiene is commonly regarded as a key preventive factor, growing evidence suggests that environmental conditions, crowding, and close physical contact may play a more substantial role in scabies transmission. Students living in sports school dormitories represent a population at increased risk due to shared facilities and intensive daily interactions.

Objective: To determine the association between personal hygiene practices and scabies-like symptoms among students residing in the dormitory of a Sports Talent School in Kupang City, Indonesia.

Methods: This analytical observational study employed a cross-sectional design. A total of 59 students aged 14–17 years were selected using simple random sampling. Personal hygiene was assessed using a structured questionnaire, while scabies-like symptoms were identified based on three clinical cardinal signs: nocturnal pruritus, history of close contact with an affected individual, and the presence of lesions at predilection sites. Microscopic confirmation was not performed. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test with a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results: Most respondents demonstrated good personal hygiene practices (80.8%). Scabies-like symptoms were identified in 25.4% of participants. Statistical analysis showed no significant association between personal hygiene status and scabies-like symptoms (p = 0.282). Descriptively, the proportion of scabies-like symptoms was higher among students with poor personal hygiene (41.7%) compared to those with good hygiene (21.3%); however, this difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: No significant association was found between personal hygiene practices and scabies-like symptoms among students living in the Sports Talent School dormitory in Kupang City. These findings suggest that factors beyond individual hygiene, such as dormitory crowding, shared facilities, and close interpersonal contact, may play a more prominent role in scabies transmission in communal living settings.

Personal Hygiene Practices of Badjaos in Surigao City, Philippines

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This descriptive-quantitative study assessed the personal hygiene practices among the Sama Badjaos in Surigao City. The main instruments used to gather the data were researcher-made questionnaires. The study respondents were 68 Badjao respondents of P-1, Barangay Canlanipa, Surigao City, whose ages are 16 years old and above. This research utilized a descriptive quantitative research design, employing survey techniques and researcher-made questionnaires as the primary methodological approach. The design aimed to gather data through surveys in order to explore and analyze the phenomenon under investigation. The findings showed that there were significant differences in different categories of personal hygiene practices when the respondents were grouped according to their age, sex, and educational attainment. The study’s findings highlighted a significant degree of variance in the respondents’ hygiene practices with respect to the profile variables including bathing, oral and hand hygiene, clothing, and more. The study recommended sharing these findings with health organizations to disseminate information within the Badjao community via health education programs. Furthermore, presenting the findings to local officials and parents was suggested to improve hygiene practices. Lastly, based on the findings, future researchers were advised to address gaps by using visual aids and achieving a balanced respondent distribution.