Relato de una experiencia de promoción de la salud en escuelas: fomentando el lavado de manos

espanolLa promocion de la salud en el entorno escolar, con estrategias y recursos didacticos adecuados, propicia el desarrollo de comportamientos favorecedores para la salud. Asi, los objetivos fueron promover el correcto lavado de manos como metodo de prevencion de enfermedades de transmision alimentaria y de otras enfermedades diarreicas y respiratorias, para fortalecer practicas de higiene cotidianas en la poblacion escolar de dos escuelas de nivel inicial y primario, de la ciudad de Cordoba, en el periodo 2016-2018. Tambien, elaborar materiales educativos sobre la tematica. Las actividades de promocion de la salud fueron llevadas a cabo por cinco docentes y diez estudiantes de la Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Argentina. En cada ano, el diagnostico de situacion, permitio conocer los equipos docentes y acordar los contenidos por trabajar al tener en cuenta el curriculo escolar. Se organizaron talleres educativos con trabajos practicos en los sanitarios para el correcto lavado de manos. Entre 2016-2018 participaron 504 estudiantes y 20 maestras de ambas escuelas. Los talleres dieron como resultado un libro infantil, afiches de difusion y 32 producciones infantiles de material artistico-didactico exhibidas en la Noche de los Museos, 2018. La mayoria de las maestras consideraron la intervencion adecuada y constructiva. Las ninas con respecto a los ninos, evidenciaron una mejor adquisicion de la practica de lavado de manos luego de usar los sanitarios, siendo insuficiente el estudiantado que incorporo el habito higienico. Se concluye que la escuela es un entorno favorable para promover comportamientos saludables, y es necesario continuar fortaleciendo las practicas. EnglishEncouraging healthy habits in schools through appropriate teaching strategies and resources promotes good health. The objectives of this study are to instill correct hand washing techniques as a method of preventing foodborne illnesses and other diarrheal and respiratory diseases, strengthen daily hygiene practices at two schools in Cordoba, Argentina during a two-year period of 2016-2018, specifically among pre-school and primary school levels, and, finally, develop educational materials on hand washing. Health promotion activities were conducted by five instructors and ten students from the National University of Cordoba. Each year, an assessment of the situation was made to introduce the teaching teams and agree on how the information would be presented while taking the school curriculum into account. Educational workshops were carried out with practical work in school restrooms to teach proper handwashing. During the 2016 and 2018 period, 504 students and 20 teachers from both schools attended the workshops. The outputs resulted in a children's book, dissemination posters and 32 examples of original artwork by children to be used as educational material which was exhibited at an event called, Night of the Museums in 2018. The workshops and outputs were readily accepted and considered appropriate by the school teachers. As a result, girls displayed better assimilation of hand washing after using the toilet more than boys. Yet, the number of students that acquired the habit was lower than expected. It was concluded, however, that schools are favorable environments to encourage and promote healthy behaviors, but that more work is needed to continue to strengthen this practice.