HUBUNGAN DUKUNGAN ORANG TUA DENGAN TINGKAT KEMANDIRIAN PERSONAL HYGIENE PADA ADOLES C ENT BERKEBUTUHAN KHUSUS

Personal hygiene independence among children with special needs remains a challenge,
as many still rely on parental assistance in their daily activities. In fact, independence in maintaining
personal hygiene is crucial to support health, self-confidence, and overall quality of life. This study is
important to provide empirical evidence regarding the extent to which parental support influences the
level of personal hygiene independence among children at Sekolah Luar Biasa (SLB) Tanjung Selor.
This research employed a quantitative approach with a correlational analytic
design. The sample consisted of parents of children with special needs, selected using total sampling.
The research instrument was a Likert-scale questionnaire measuring parental support (emotional,
informational, instrumental, and appraisal) and the child’s level of personal hygiene independence.
Data were analyzed using correlation tests to examine the relationship between the two variables.
The results showed a significant relationship between parental support and the level of
personal hygiene independence among children with special needs. Higher levels of parental support
were associated with greater independence in performing self-care activities such as bathing, toileting,
grooming, and eating or drinking.
Parental support plays an essential role in improving personal hygiene independence
in children with special needs. These findings are expected to serve as input for parents, teachers, and
healthcare professionals to strengthen their support in fostering children’s independence.