Game-Based Handwashing Education in Preschool Children

This study aims to evaluate the effect of a game-based handwashing education program, which will be developed based on the Health Belief Model, on the handwashing behaviors of preschool children. Preschool children are considered more vulnerable to respiratory and gastrointestinal infections due to their immature immune systems and close contact with peers in school settings. Within the scope of this project, a game called "Clean Hands" will be developed and a game-based handwashing education program will be implemented. The study will be conducted using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design with children aged 60-83 months attending two preschools with similar demographic characteristics. Children will be assigned to intervention and control groups. Children in the intervention group will participate in the developed game as a group activity once a week for eight weeks. The control group will not receive any game-based intervention during the study period; however, the same game will be provided to the control group after completion of the intervention sessions. Data will be collected using teacher observation forms, parent observation forms, handwashing step sequencing assessment forms, and handwashing behavior discrimination assessment forms. The findings are expected to contribute to the development of effective game-based health education strategies for preschool children.