Hygiene and Healthy Habits for Kids

HYGIENE AND HEALTH HABITS FOR KIDS This module is intended for elementary TABLE OF CONTENTS learners and can be answered with the help of parents, siblings or guardians. It Lesson 1: Handwashing contains three lessons: • Handwashing • Personal Hygiene Content overview and objectives 2 • Healthy Habits to Help Immunity Let’s get started 2 ICON GUIDE Try this 2 This icon refers to sections in this module that are to be read with the Let’s read and learn 3 learner This icon refers to sections that need Think about this 3 to be answered This icon refers to sections that Let’s read and learn 4 describe more learning activities Think about this 5 What have we learned so far 6 Try this 6 Lesson 2: Personal Hygiene Content overview and objectives 7 Let’s read and learn 7 Think about this 9 Lesson 3: Healthy Habits to Help Immunity Content overview and objectives 10 Let’s read and learn 10 Now try this 14 1

LESSON 1 HANDWASHING CONTENT OVERVIEW OBJECTIVES In this lesson, we will learn to: In this lesson, your child will learn that: By the end of this lesson, your child should be able to: 1. Microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses are microscopic organisms that exist 1. Explain the importance of everywhere. They can easily transfer from handwashing in preventing objects and surfaces to people, or from one the spread of disease. person to another. 2. List critical times when 2. Microorganisms can cause illness, so it is handwashing is needed. important to prevent their spread. 3. Demonstrate proper 3. One way to protect yourself and others from handwashing techniques. getting sick is by proper handwashing. LET’S GET STARTED Microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses are microscopic organisms that exist everywhere. They cannot be seen with the naked eye, but can easily transfer from objects and surfaces to people, or from one person to another. TRY THIS When the microorganisms come into contact with your eyes, nose or mouth, they can enter your body, and this may result in you feeling sick. When you see a person who is sneezing, coughing, or has a runny nose, or when a person has a fever and rashes on their skin, it means that microorganisms have invaded their body. Try placing baby powder on your hands and pretend that the little white particles are microorganisms. Next, try touching a surface, like your shirt or a chair. As you can see, the powder spreads easily. Lastly, try to shake your hands. Does the powder come off? Just like the powder, microorganisms spread easily! They can go from your hand to a surface, or from a surface to your body. They can transfer from one person to another. They can even transfer from your hands to your food and drinks! Merely wiping or shaking your hands will not help to get rid of them. 2

Lesson 1 - Handwashing LET’S READ & LEARN Handwashing is one of the best ways to get rid of these microorganisms. Soap can kill these microorganisms, so washing your hands properly can help prevent the spread of microorganisms that cause people to get sick. When, and how often, should you wash your hands? These are the times we need to remember to wash our hands: Before, during, and Before eating food Before and after After coughing or after preparing food caring for a sick sneezing person After using the toilet After touching money After touching After touching animals or animal garbage or dirty waste dishes THINK ABOUT THIS Can you think of other situations when handwashing is important? Draw them in the space below. Ask Nanay, Tatay, Ate or Kuya to help you label your drawing. 3

Lesson 1 - Handwashing LET’S READ & LEARN Proper Handwashing Procedure Just putting soap, rubbing our hands together and rinsing off the soap does not ensure that all the microorganisms will be washed away. There is a proper way to wash your hands. 12 First, apply soap and create a thick Next, rub your palms together while lather for about 20 seconds. intertwining your fingers. 3 4 Then, rub the backs of your fingers and Afterwards, grasp one thumb and rub fingertips against the opposite palm. with a rotating motion. Do the same Do the same with the other hand. with the other thumb. 5 6 Follow that with rubbing one palm Lastly, rinse your hands with running against the back of the other palm, and water. vice versa. 7 Dry your hands with a clean towel, or better yet, air dry them. 4

Lesson 1 - Handwashing It is better to air dry our hands than use cloth towels. Microorganisms can also exist on cloth towels, so if we use a cloth towel those microorganisms will just transfer back to our hands. What if you are not able to immediately wash your hands with soap and water. What can you do to minimize the microorganisms on your hands? Use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to kill microorganisms. By looking at the product label, you will see how much alcohol the product contains. But remember, sanitizers cannot remove all types of microorganisms and is not as effective as soap and water, especially if your hands are visibly dirty or soiled. THINK ABOUT THIS Which of the handwashing situations described on page 3 are you already practicing at home? Fill in this table with Nanay and Tatay. Identify whether you ALWAYS, SOMETIMES or NEVER wash your hands during these situations. Place a check mark in the column that corresponds to your answer. Handwashing Situations Always Some- Never times Before, during, and after preparing food Before eating food Before and after caring for a sick person After coughing or sneezing After using the toilet After touching money After touching animals or animal waste After touching garbage or dirty dishes Remember, handwashing is one of the best measures to protect yourself and others from getting sick because it prevents the spread of microorganisms and reduces the risk of getting other communicable infections. Be responsible for your health by regularly practicing good hygiene. 5

Lesson 1 - Handwashing What have we learned so far? Try to recall the steps for proper handwashing. In the spaces below, describe each step or draw the part of the hand that each step focuses on. You can have Nanay, Tatay, Ate or Kuya help you with this task. Try to recall as many of the steps without looking at page 4. After you have described the steps, then refer to page 4 to see which ones you were not able to recall on your own. TRY THIS Is there someone at home who needs to learn the steps for proper handwashing? Record a video of yourself teaching them the proper way to wash hands, and share this video with your teacher and classmates. 6

LESSON 2 PERSONAL HYGIENE CONTENT OVERVIEW OBJECTIVES In this lesson, your child will learn that: By the end of this lesson, your In this lesson, child should be able to: we will learn to: 1. Personal hygiene is important in maintaining one’s health and preventing the spread of 1. Describe the importance of diseases. personal hygiene. 2. Personal hygiene practices include 2. Explain what acceptable handwashing, bathing regularly, washing scalp and poor personal hygiene and hair, brushing teeth, cutting fingernails and practices are. wearing clean clothes. 3. Demonstrate personal hygiene practices. LET’S READ AND LEARN Personal hygiene refers to practices that you can do to take care of your own health, by keeping your body clean and your surroundings sanitized. The word sanitized means, ‘free from microorganisms.’ Taking a bath is one very important way to maintain personal hygiene. How often should you take a bath? You should also take a bath immediately after sweating or if you get dirty. Germs and bacteria love sweat and dirt. So, if you do not wash off sweat or dirt on your body, the germs and bacteria will quickly multiply. Bacteria and sweat also cause body odor. When you take a bath, you need to remember the following: • Use soap and water. • Make sure to soap your armpits, genitals, and feet thoroughly because these are the parts that get sweaty easily. • Use a clean towel to dry your body thoroughly. • Avoid sharing soap and towels because this can result in cross-infection. 7

Lesson 2 - Personal Hygiene Washing your scalp and hair is also an important personal hygiene practice. If you look closely at your hair and scalp, you will see glands on the surface of your scalp. Oil comes out of these glands, and if you mix oil, dust and sweat – these can result in your hair becoming greasy, making it another place where germs and bacteria may multiply. To properly wash your hair and scalp, you should: • Wet your hair thoroughly. • Use just the right amount of shampoo. • Massage your scalp well to remove dead skin cells, excess oil, and dirt. • Rinse until you don’t see any more bubbles or soap suds in your hair. • Dry your hair and head with a clean towel. Also, it’s important not to share towels, combs or brushes. Do you know why? You should not share towels, combs, brushes or even hair accessories to avoid the spread of head lice or nits. Lice are small, wingless insects that live on the scalp and suck off human blood. If a person with lice uses your brush, for instance, the lice might transfer to your brush, and it might transfer to your head the next time you use your brush. If your head is always itchy, it may mean that you have head lice. You should ask an adult to look carefully at the strands of your hair to look for nits (lice eggs.) Nits do not come off by mere brushing. You will need a special kind of shampoo to get rid of it. Another important personal hygiene practice is brushing your teeth. Why is it important to brush your teeth? When we chew food, some of it gets stuck to our teeth and gums, while some of it gets stuck in the spaces between our teeth. There is a sticky film that builds up on the surface of our teeth called plaque and it has a lot of bacteria. The bacteria in plaque produce acids that can damage the outer layer of your teeth, causing cavities and tooth decay. The best way to prevent tooth decay is to brush your teeth with toothpaste that contains fluoride. Here is the proper way to brush your teeth: • Squeeze a pea-sized amount of toothpaste onto the toothbrush. • Brush all teeth, especially the molars in the back, for at least two minutes. • Spit the toothpaste out, but do not rinse your mouth. • Wipe your mouth using hands with some water. • Rinse your toothbrush with clean water. Did you know that you are not supposed to rinse your mouth out with water after brushing your teeth? This is so that the fluoride in the toothpaste will remain on your teeth to protect them against plaque. 8

Lesson 2 - Personal Hygiene Cutting your fingernails is another important hygiene practice. If your fingernails are long, dirt and bacteria can get trapped under your fingernails. You should be cutting your nails short enough, following the shape of the nail, but not so short that you cut too close to the skin underneath. Keeping nails trimmed is important to maintaining your health. Last but not least, wearing clean clothes is an important hygiene practice. Dirty clothes carry dirt and sweat, and of course, microorganisms. Body odor can also result from wearing dirty clothes. You must make sure that your clothes are washed after every use to remove the dirt, sweat and microorganisms stuck to them. Underwear – like undershirts, boxer shorts, panties and briefs – are right next to our skin so they collect sweat, dead skin cells and body fluids. These clothes must be washed after every use to prevent bacteria from multiplying on them. THINK ABOUT THIS Which of these hygiene practices are you able to do without someone reminding you? Which of these hygiene practices do you still need to be reminded to do? Place a check mark in the column that corresponds to your answer. (You may ask Nanay, Tatay, Ate or Kuya to help you write your answers below, if needed.) Personal Hygiene Habits Habits I Do Habits I Still Need Without Being To Be Reminded Take a bath Wash hair and scalp Reminded To Do Avoid sharing towels, combs, brushes and hair accessories Brush my teeth Cut my fingernails Wear clean clothes Remember: Personal hygiene is important because it affects your health and well-being, as well as the health of those around you. Be responsible for your health by regularly practicing good hygiene. 9

LESSON 3 HEALTHY HABITS TO HELP IMMUNITY CONTENT OVERVIEW OBJECTIVES In this lesson, your child will learn that: By the end of this lesson, your child should be able to: 1. A strong immune system defends the body against the millions of microorganisms it is 1. Understand the nature and importance of the exposed to every day, offering protection immune system. against a range of illnesses, from the common cold to chronic disease. 2. Explain the role of Healthy Habits in building up one’s resistance and preventing 2. Along with keeping good hygiene, habits that communicable diseases. support one’s immune system are as follows: 3. Practice Healthy Habits to support normal • Choose nutritious and varied food immunity and prevent the spread of • Manage portions communicable diseases. • Choose to drink water and milk • Enjoy meals together • Play actively • Care for the planet In this lesson, we will learn to: Choose Nutritious Manage Choose to Play and Varied Options Portions Drink Water Actively and Milk Enjoy Meals Care for the Keep Good Together Planet Hygiene LET’S READ AND LEARN Have you heard of the words ‘immune system’? We also use the terms ‘immunity’ or ‘resistensya’. Does anyone know what these terms mean? The immune system refers to the cells, tissues and organs of our body that work together to protect the body against infection. Remember, our body is constantly exposed to millions of microorganisms. If bad microorganisms enter or attack our body, our immune system is supposed to send cells to find the bad microorganisms and kill them. If our immune system is strong and functioning properly, then it can defend itself against the microorganisms that cause sickness. But if our immune system is weak, it may lose against bad microorganisms. In the previous lessons, we learned to Keep Good Hygiene. This lesson talks about other Healthy Habits that can help support our immune system. The immune system is always working to get rid of any infection. You can help your immune system do its job by practicing the Healthy Habits. These Healthy Habits strengthen your immune system so that it can ‘resist’ or fight off infections. 10

Lesson 3 - Healthy Habits to Help Immunity Let’s look at the first habit that strengthens your immune system: Choose Nutritious and Varied Options. It is important to eat a nutritious and balanced diet that is rich in protein, fruits, vegetables, dairy and whole grains. Choosing nutritious and varied options allows us to get the different nutrients that our bodies need for a strong immune system. Vitamin A is an important vitamin that nourishes the skin and tissues in the mouth, stomach and intestines. When the skin and tissues in the mouth, stomach and intestines are intact and healthy, they act as a barrier against infection. Vitamin A is found in yellow and orange vegetables like squash and carrots. It can also be found in fruits like papayas, melons and mangoes. You can also find vitamin A in sweet potatoes, organ meats like liver, and fortified milk. Vitamin C is another important vitamin that supports the the normal function of the immune system. It is found in yellow and orange fruits like papayas, pineapples, mangoes and oranges. Dark, leafy vegetables like malunggay and kangkong are also rich in vitamin C, along with fortified milk and chocomalt milk drink. Vitamin D contributes to maintenance of normal bones and muscles and normal absorption of calcium. You can find vitamin D in fortified milk and chocomalt milk drinks, cheese, eggs and fish like salmon, tuna or sardines. Vitamin B6 also helps in producing the cells that fight microorganisms. Vitamin B6 can be found in potatoes, bananas, fish, eggs, chicken and organ meats like liver. We can also get this vitamin from nuts and beans, whole grain cereals, fortified milk and chocomalt milk drink. 11

Lesson 3 - Healthy Habits to Help Immunity Zinc is another nutrient that supports normal growth and normal function of the immune system. Zinc also helps in wound healing. It is found in protein-rich food like fish, eggs, chicken, red meat, shellfish and fortified milk. Iron helps in forming Our immune system substances that kill bacteria needs a lot of and inactivate invading microorganisms. Iron is found in different vitamins meat, poultry, fish, beans, and and minerals, green leafy vegetables, as well as fortified milk and chocomalt and we can only milk drink. get the vitamins and minerals we Last but not least, folate is need if we choose another nutrient that helps our nutritious and varied immune system respond to options for food. microorganisms. It is found in If we eat the same dark green, leafy vegetables. thing every day, It is also found in nuts, beans, we are preventing whole grain cereals and citrus our bodies from fruits, such as orange. getting all the nutrients it needs to help maintain our immune system. Let’s talk about the second Healthy Habit that that helps support our immune system: Manage Portions. This is Pinggang Pinoy®. It is an easy-to-understand food guide that reminds us what our meals should look like every day. A nutritious meal consists of Go, Grow and Glow food which should be eaten with a glass of water and/or a nutritious beverage like fortified milk. Following Pinggang Pinoy® helps to strengthen our immunity. Pinggang Pinoy® reminds us that half of the plate should have fruits and vegetables, with more vegetables than fruits. The other half is for grains and protein sources, with more grains than protein. Having the correct portion sizes in every meal ensures that we get the vitamins and minerals needed to strengthen immunity and prevent infection. Pinggang Pinoy® image adapted from Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology. (2016). Pinggang Pinoy® A Healthy Plate for a Well-Nourished Nation: Guide for nutrition professionals. Taguig City, Philippines. FNRI-DOST. 12

Lesson 3 - Healthy Habits to Help Immunity Which brings us to our next Healthy Habit: Choose to Drink Water and Milk. Water is an important component of lymph, a fluid part of the immune system. Fortified milk has calcium and vitamin D for normal bones and teeth. It also has nutrients like iron, zinc and vitamin C that may contribute to the normal function of the immune system. Lack of water leads to dehydration, with the following signs and symptoms: thirst, fatigue, discomfort, dizziness, weakness and loss of appetite. Another important Healthy Habit is to Play Actively. Children need to regularly get 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity. Doing so strengthens the body, making it more capable of fighting against infections. Doing moderate to average intensity physical activities – like brisk walking, jogging or skipping rope – also strengthens the immune system. These kinds of activities temporarily improve blood circulation, which means increased circulation of the cells that fight infection. Physical activity does not just refer to sports and exercises. Physical activity also includes the things you do to get your body moving, like doing household chores or going for a walk with your family. Another important habit for staying healthy is to Enjoy Meals Together. Studies show that children who always eat meals with their families are more likely to eat fruits, vegetables and milk which are all rich in vitamins and minerals. In other words, eating with the family encourages healthier eating habits which help build stronger resistance. 13

Lesson 3 - Healthy Habits to Help Immunity The last habit we will discuss has to do with our environment: Care for the Planet. We do our best to keep our bodies clean and our immune system strong so that we can avoid getting sick, but another important thing to remember is that we should keep our surroundings clean. If we make sure that our surroundings are clean, then we minimize the presence of disease-causing microorganisms that may cause sickness. We can keep our surroundings clean by not littering, and making sure that trash is safely collected, stored and disposed. We can also make sure that we regularly clean household surfaces like table tops, kitchen sinks and bathroom surfaces with soap and water, to prevent microorganisms from multiplying. NOW TRY THIS Which of these habits do you need to start practicing today? Try any of these Healthy Habit Challenges below! Identify nutritious foods that you need to add to your diet. Perhaps you do not eat enough vegetables and fruits, or you only eat one kind of protein (such as chicken). Ask Nanay, Tatay, Ate or Kuya to help you come up with a delicious recipe for a vegetable, fruit, or protein source that you should add to your diet. Share this recipe with your friends and teacher through email or social media. With a friend or classmate, think of ways you can remember to drink water throughout the day. For instance, you can use an alarm to remind you every hour, or you can remind yourself to drink water each time you walk into the kitchen. For seven days, you and your classmate can record the number of glasses of water you drank each day to see if your ideas helped to increase your water intake. Ask your family members to answer this question during your next meal: “Name three things you are grateful for.” Come up with similar questions that you can discuss while enjoying your meal together and share these questions with your teacher and classmates. Challenge your family to engage in physical activity together. You can choose a day and time when you all exercise together, or perhaps you can all spend an hour each week cleaning the house together. Record your physical activity of choice and share this recording with your teacher and classmates to encourage them to have physical activity as well. Walk through your home with a member of your family and observe areas where cleanliness can be improved. Come up with tips on how to properly clean surfaces of your house, to keep your home clean and sanitized. Share these tips in a video or create a poster that you can send to your teacher and classmates. 14