Abstract

Contaminated water and subsequent hygiene practices remain a concern for most low resource countries worldwide. Morbidity and mortality from health conditions associated with unsafe water practices remain at an all-time high and a global public health priority. “NSU”: A safe water campaign for an urban community is Western Ghana, is a research translation project designed to assess/educate community members regarding knowledge, attitudes, and practices surrounding hygiene practices in an urban community in sub-Saharan Africa. “NSU”, means translated as “water” in the language of Fante, utilizes a two-group pre-test, post-test design with a delayed intervention to be administered to the control group. Methods of education delivery include three-pile sorting and didactic lessons/discussions of no more than 15 participants per group. Participants completed a survey modified for cultural appropriateness to the area in an effort to measure the knowledge they gained. Research translation projects such as “NSU” that draw from best practices and are culturally attuned can serve as an impetus for effective and measurable community health education program development for global populations.

Keywords: Hygiene practices; Cultural attunement; Global health; Community health education