Which disease is related to personal hygiene?

Appeared in: UPPSC-2021

Explanation

Hookworm disease is a soil-transmitted helminthiasis, meaning it is an infection caused by a parasitic worm transmitted through contaminated soil.
The transmission cycle is directly linked to poor sanitation (fecal contamination of soil) and poor personal hygiene (walking barefoot on contaminated soil).
The infective larvae penetrate the skin, making hygiene practices like wearing shoes and proper waste disposal critical for prevention.

Option A: Scurvy is a nutritional disorder caused by a deficiency of Vitamin C. It is not an infectious disease and is unrelated to personal hygiene.
Option B: Rickets is a condition that affects bone development in children, primarily caused by a deficiency of Vitamin D or calcium. It is not related to personal hygiene.
Option C: Migraines are a complex neurological disorder characterized by severe headaches. They have various triggers but are not caused by pathogens or related to personal hygiene.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Disease Transmission and Personal Hygiene helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses are central to public health campaigns aimed at eradicating soil-transmitted helminths like hookworm through education on WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) principles.
In clinical practice, when a patient from an endemic area presents with iron-deficiency anemia, a nurse should consider hookworm as a possible underlying cause and communicate this suspicion to the healthcare team.
What if? If a community has a high prevalence of anemia in children despite adequate nutritional programs, the public health nurse should investigate the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths and advocate for a mass deworming program and improved sanitation infrastructure.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key concept in the question stem, which is the relationship between a 'disease' and 'personal hygiene'.
Evaluate each option by recalling or determining its primary cause.
Recognize that Scurvy and Rickets are nutritional deficiencies, unrelated to hygiene.
Identify Migraines as a neurological condition, also unrelated to hygiene.
Recall that Hookworm is a parasitic infection. Consider its mode of transmission: it spreads through fecal contamination of soil and skin contact. This is a direct link to sanitation and personal hygiene practices.
Conclude that Hookworm disease is the only option directly caused by lapses in personal hygiene and sanitation.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Comprehensive Textbook of Community Health Nursing for BSc Nursing Students Part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-275 of 550) p. 61-63

E6 Microbiology Essentials Sastry 4e Part 2 p. 32-34

E6 Medicine Davidson Principles Practice 24e p. 308-310

Practise the full UPPSC-2021

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.