Mothers’ Perspectives on Household Hygiene and Preschool Child Cleanliness in Nepal: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study

Abstract

Mothers’ perceptions on hygiene practices are essential to prevent early childhood infections and promoting healthy development, yet limited qualitative evidence exists in Nepal. Guided by the Health Belief Model and Social Ecological Model, this exploratory phenomenological study examined mothers’ perspectives on food hygiene, child cleanliness, and home environmental sanitation among preschool children (36–71 months) in Rupandehi District, Nepal. Thirteen purposively selected mothers from diverse sociocultural and educational backgrounds participated in in-depth interviews conducted between April and May 2021. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Three major themes were developed as of hygiene in food preparation and preservation; child personal hygiene routines; and maintenance of a clean and safe home environment. Mothers demonstrated strong awareness on hygiene importance, routinely handwashing practice, safe food handling techniques, bathing, nail trimming, laundering, and regular household cleaning. However, practices towards their children varied according to seasonal changes, child health status, socio-cultural norms and household resource availability. Findings highlight maternal agency in promoting child health despite structural constraints. Socio-culturally guided hygiene promotion and improved access to basic sanitation resources are essential to strengthen early childhood health outcomes in low-resource settings, Nepal.