HYGIENE

I. Factors Affecting Hygiene

- ability to perform daily self-care
ADL – activities of daily living (bathing, brushing teeth / hair, etc.)

A. SKIN CARE
1. Developmental Considerations
- careful handling of infants is required to prevent injury to and
infection of the skin and
mucous membranes
- child’s skin requires special care and attention to cleanliness
following play activities and
during toilet training
- adolescent’s skin has enlarged sebaceous glands and increased
glandular secretions which
disposes them to body odor and acne

2. Health State
- very thin and very obese people tend to be more susceptible to
skin irritation and injury
- fluid loss through fever, vomiting, or diarrhea reduces fluid
volumes (dehydration) and makes
the skin appear loose and flabby
- excessive perspiration, often associated with being ill, predisposes
for breakdown
- jaundice (condition caused by excessive bile pigments) patients
are more likely to scratch
and cause open lesions with the potential for infection
- diseases, such as eczema and psoriasis, often cause lesions that
require special care

B. CULTURE
- people in North America place a high value on personal cleanliness and
feel unclean if they don’t
shower or bathe at least once daily
- people from many other cultures often find a weekly bath sufficient and
may feel no need to mask
normal body odors
- different cultures may also influence whether bathing is private or
communal activity

C. SOCIOECONOMIC CLASS
- socioeconomic class and financial resource often define hygiene options
available to individuals

D. SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
- including religious beliefs, may dictate ceremonial washings and
purifications, sometimes as a
 prelude to prayer or eating

E. DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL
- children learn different hygiene practices while growing up
- family practices often dictate practices
- adolescents become more concerned about personal appearance,
adopting new measures
- older people begin to bath less frequently, possibly due to limitations
and drier skin

F. HEALTH STATE
- disease or injury may reduce a person’s ability to perform hygiene or
motivation to follow usual habits