Elementary school students is a group of people which has a big share in the continuity of this country so it is very necessary improved ability to live healthy, one of them by increasing knowledge and attitudes of children about health especially about personal hygiene. The purpose of this research is know the effectiveness Peer Group Health Education behavior personal hygiene for elementary school students. Special target in this study, namely examine behavior personal hygiene of students before and after given health education with the peer group method in the experimental group and the lecture method in the control group. Types of research used is pre-experimental research, by using Non-Equivalent Control Group design. Sampling in this research performed with purposive sampling technique, with the number of samples as many as 50 students with details of 25 students as an experimental group and 25 students as a control group. The Data analysis using Paired sample t test and Independent sample t test. Statistical test results p = 0.000 show statistically there is a difference meaningful between personal hygiene behavior before and after peer group health education. The result of statistical test also p = 0.000 show statistically there is a difference meaningful between personal hygiene behavior before and after health education with the lecture method. But it can be concluded that there is no significant difference between Group behavior Peer Group Health Education and Group Behavior Health Eduvation With the Lecture Method (p = 0.565). With the results of this study expected to open the knowledge and the mindset of health workers to be more active and creative in empowering the community in an effort to improve public health status.
Keywords: Personal hygiene; primary schools students; health education