{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T17:00:49Z","timestamp":1777482049589,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"African Journals Online (AJOL)","issue":"1","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Afr H. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Poor food handling creates a pathway for childhood illnesses leading to under-nutrition.\r\nObjective: To assess hygiene practices of caregivers of young children at critical points in relation to childhood infections and under-nutrition in Rongai sub-county, Nakuru, Kenya.\r\nMethods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 caregivers of children aged 6-23 months. A structured questionnaire was used to assess hygiene practices, history of infections and anthropometric measurements of children to determine z-scores.\r\nResults: Majority of caregivers were aware of some critical hand-washing times; before handling food (82.6%), before feeding the child (71%), after handling raw food (60.9%) and garbage (68.7%).Washing hands under running water [AOR=0.078, 95% C.I; (0.008\u00b10.795)], before feeding the child [AOR=0.175 95% C.I; (0.043\u00b10.709)], and after handling garbage [AOR= 0.273 95% C.I; (0.089\u00b1.831)] reduced chances of experiencing diarrhoea among children aged 6-11 months. Further, underweight was positively associated (P&lt;0.05) with parasitic infections [AOR=3.123 95% C.I; (1.047\u00b19.317)] and having trouble in breathing [AOR=6.212 95% C.I;(1.596\u00b124.184)].\r\nConclusion: Adequate hygiene practices among caregivers during critical times were associated with reduced chances of childhood illnesses in children aged 6-11 months. Behaviour change communication and education of caregivers about critical hand washing times during complementary feeding period are needed for improved child nutrition outcomes.Keywords: Hand-washing; childhood illnesses; nutritional outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4314\/ahs.v26i1.7","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,28]],"date-time":"2026-04-28T14:14:23Z","timestamp":1777385663000},"page":"54-65","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Hand-washing practices at critical times in relation to childhood illnesses and under-nutrition among caregivers in Rongai sub-county, Kenya"],"prefix":"10.4314","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Sharon","family":"Chepng\u2019eno Kemboi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dorothy","family":"Mituki Mungiria","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rose","family":"Chepchirchir Ramkat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maureen","family":"Jepkorir Cheserek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"2895","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]]},"container-title":["African Health Sciences"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajol.info\/index.php\/ahs\/article\/download\/322199\/303087","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajol.info\/index.php\/ahs\/article\/download\/322199\/303087","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,28]],"date-time":"2026-04-28T14:14:27Z","timestamp":1777385667000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajol.info\/index.php\/ahs\/article\/view\/322199"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4314\/ahs.v26i1.7","relation":{},"ISSN":["1729-0503","1680-6905"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1729-0503","type":"electronic"},{"value":"1680-6905","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026]]}}}