THE PREVALENCE OF HYGIENIC PRACTICES AMONG STUDENTS AT PAMO UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE.

Introduction: Hygienic practices are fundamental to preventing the spread of diseases and maintaining overall health, particularly within academic institutions where students are in close contact with one another. Despite the critical role that hygiene plays in public health, there is a notable variability in the adherence to hygienic practices among university students. This study investigates the prevalence of hygienic practices among students at Pamo University of Medical Sciences in Port Harcourt, Rivers State by assessing the current hygiene knowledge, practices and factors affecting these practices among students. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study and a multi staging sampling technique was used. The study instrument was a self-administered questionnaire which was made up of three sections that addressed socio-demographic data, hygiene knowledge and practice and factors influencing hygiene practices. Results: Data was analyzed using SPSS and reported using frequency tables, bar charts and pie charts, the number of respondents was 427. The findings showed a good knowledge of hygiene (95.4%) and a good hygiene practice (70.25%) signifying a good prevalence of hygiene practice but a gap between knowledge and practice.