Sustainability of hygiene behaviour and the effectiveness of change interventions. Booklet 2. Findings of a multi-country research study and implications for water and sanitation programmes

From 2000-2003 six research teams from six different countries in Asia and Africa undertook a research study into the effectiveness of hygiene promotion interventions and the sustainability of changes in hygiene behaviour. The experiences and findings gained through this research study were worth sharing. Not only because they gave insight in these areas, but also in do’s and dont’s when undertaking a longitudinal behavioural study. The experiences and findings have therefore been brought together and made accessible to people interested in hygiene promotion and behavioural research.
This second booklet describes the research findings and the implications these findings have for water and sanitation programmes. The study took place some time after the end of the project interventions. To evaluate the impact of programme interventions on hygiene practices four datasets were examined by: 1) comparing results of intervention and control groups; 2) showing changes over time, using baseline information; 3) finding evidence of direct links between inputs during the project period in terms of hygiene activities and outputs after the project had ended in terms of hygiene practices; 4) examining standard external variables such as improved access to drinking water, education and socio-economic levels.
Except for lessons learned from the research outcomes, a lot was learned about the research methodology and its implementation. The importance of planning right from the beginning for sufficient time for data analysis became evident. A less expected challenge was the need to ensure that those involved in the study understand the statistical aspects of the results.

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