Knowledge of Hygiene Needs, Nutrition, and Communicable Diseases among Secondary School Children of the Orang Asli Community in Sungai Siput, Perak.

Introduction: In Malaysia, "health promotion" refers to programmes and strategies aimed at improving the health and well-being of the population. These strategies are often tailored to Malaysia's diverse cultural and racial landscape. The Orang Asli (indigenous people), a minority community, are a native group in Peninsular Malaysia who have sometimes been overlooked and marginalised. However, the Malaysian government has supported initiatives to enhance their access to healthcare. Recently, Malaysia has been called to prioritise the health and well-being of the Orang Asli community due to persistent health disparities. The study aimed to assess Orang Asli secondary school students' knowledge of nutrition, communicable diseases, and hygiene requirements. Methods: The study involved 104 respondents at an Orang Asli secondary school, Sekolah Agama Rakyat Nurul Hidayah, in Sungai Siput, Perak. A health promotion strategy was adopted in this intervention study using a quantitative pre-and post-test design. A 30-item self-administered questionnaire was used to gauge the knowledge of Orang Asli school children on various health promotion-related issues. Respondents who participated before and after the health promotion education in the study were compared. Results: There was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test with a p-value of 0.001. There was a notable difference in the pre-and post-test results between respondents from all classes at that school, with pre-test p=0.001 and post-test p=0.005. Conclusion: This highlights the importance of sustained and dedicated health education and promotion initiatives within the Orang Asli community to address health disparities and improve overall well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]