Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Practices Among Basic School Children in Rural Communities in Ghana: A Scoping Review

Introduction: WASH is critical for child health and learning, yet rural schools in low-and middle-income countries often face inadequate water supply, sanitation facilities, and hygiene resources. Limited access to WASH infrastructure compromises hygiene behaviours, increases exposure to preventable diseases, and negatively affects school attendance and learning. Despite numerous studies, evidence on WASH practices, influencing factors, and educational outcomes in rural school settings in Ghana remains fragmented. Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to map existing evidence on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices among basic school children in rural communities in Ghana, specifically identifying reported practices, factors influencing WASH behaviours, and associated educational outcomes. Inclusion criteria: This review will consider studies involving basic school children (primary and junior high) in rural communities in Ghana. The concept includes access to and use of water, sanitation, and hygiene services, with exclusion of studies focused solely on urban schools or non-school settings. All study designs, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and relevant grey literature, will be eligible. Methods: A comprehensive search will be conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scispace, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published from 2016 to 2026 without language restrictions. Titles, abstracts, and full texts will be screened by two independent reviewers using JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Data extraction will focus on participant characteristics, WASH practices, context, and key findings. Extracted data will be summarized in tables and charts, accompanied by a narrative synthesis to map evidence and identify gaps. Keywords: Basic school children; Hygiene practices; Rural communities; Sanitation; Water access, Ghana