Parental Engagement Strategies for Improving Children’s Physical Activity and Hygiene Behaviours in Ghanaian Basic Schools: A Narrative Literature Review.

Abstract:

Children’s physical activity and hygiene behaviours are shaped by both school experiences and family support, yet these influences are often addressed separately in research and practice. This narrative literature review examined how parental engagement supports children’s movement habits and hygiene behaviours and identified school based strategies for strengthening parent involvement in school health in Ghanaian basic schools. Relevant peer reviewed studies published mainly between 2021 and 2026 were identified through database searching, screened for relevance, and synthesised thematically. The review found that parental modelling, encouragement, co participation, home routines, and school to home communication are important influences on children’s physical activity and hygiene related behaviours. The literature also suggests that school based strategies such as parent education, health messages for home reinforcement, family oriented activities, and stronger school community structures can improve consistency between school expectations and home practice. In Ghana, however, parent participation is often constrained by time, resources, communication gaps, and uneven institutional support. The review contributes to school health scholarship by integrating physical activity, hygiene behaviour, and family school partnership within one framework and argues that stronger parental engagement is necessary for sustainable school health improvement.