Oral diseases tend to be linked to specific behaviors of an individual. That is why specific infectious disease prevalence had declined when personal hygiene was improved. Oral and hand hygiene are examples of activities that have been noted to impact the health of individuals (Cruz & Bashtawi, 2015). This research will analyze the nature of self-practice among Saudi students in the U.S. and how it affects their overall health. There is a difference in how Saudi students approached self-care and hygiene, as compared to other students. The reason as to why this difference exists needs to be further analyzed. It will help in identifying measures that will ensure they are also updated on hygienic practices.
The prevalence of tooth decay in children aged 12-14 years was quite high, at 93.7%, among Saudi students (Al Subait et al., 2016). When compared to male students, female students had a better understanding of oral hygiene, which is why more of them brushed their teeth frequently as needed (Al Subait et al., 2016). Therefore, there is a difference in how males and females approach hygiene (Cruz et al., 2015).
Self-practice may also relate to how an individual care for the skin in response to the U.V. rays. Most skin diseases are caused by exposure to the U.V. radiation, which damages the cells and impacts its growth (Al Ghamdi et al., 2015). Without the right knowledge on what products to use and the right attitude towards the associated risk, individuals will not be motivated to take protective measures. Among the Saudi students living in the U.S., little is known regarding their level of awareness and behaviors that relate to exposure to the sun and protection against the U.V. rays (Al Ghamdi et al., 2015). Hand Hygiene is yet also a focus for many researchers. It is also impacted by the level of knowledge held by Saudi students in the U.S. (Hamadah et al., 2015).
Also, students need to understand the importance of personal hygiene when interacting with others as it will prevent the transmission of infections (Alsager et al., 2018). Therefore, it has already been established that self-care relates to having sufficient knowledge and better attitudes towards hygiene. Unfortunately, there is a gap in the literature concerning the steps taken to improve these factors among Saudi students in the U.S. The current research aims to identify the difference that exists in self-care knowledge and attitude between the American and Saudi students in the U.S. It is an essential consideration since the results will help in improving the hygiene practices of students, thereby dealing with the spread of infectious diseases in the Universities.
Primary Question: What is the difference in self-care knowledge and attitude between American and Saudi students in the U.S.?
Null hypotheses: There is no difference in self-care knowledge and attitude between American and Saudi students in the U.S.
Hypotheses: When compared to the Americans, Saudi students lack sufficient knowledge relating to hygiene, which triggers a negative attitude that impacts their self-care practice.
Secondary Question: How do Saudi male students perceive personal hygiene as compared to female students?
