Improving children’s and their visitors’ hand hygiene compliance

Lary, Dina; Calvert, Aaron; Nerlich, Brigitte; Segal, Joel; Vaughan, Natalie; Randle, Jacqueline; Hardie, Kim

Abstract

Background: Numerous interventions have tried to improve healthcare workers' hand hygiene compliance, however little attention has been paid to children's and their visitors’ compliance.
Aim: To increase children’s and visitors’ compliance using interactive educational interventions.

Methods: This was an observational study of hand hygiene compliance before and after the introduction of educational interventions. Qualitative data in the form of Questionnaires and interviews was obtained.

Findings: Hand hygiene compliance increased by 21.4% (P [less than] 0.001) following the educational interventions, with children's compliance reaching 40.8% and visitors' being 50.8%. Compliance varied depending on which of the five moments of hygiene was observed (P [less than] 0.001), with the highest compliance was ‘after body fluid exposure’ (96%). Responses from questionnaires showed educational interventions raised awareness of the importance of hand hygiene (69%, 57%) compared to those who hadn't experienced the educational intervention (50%).

Conclusion: Educational interventions may result in a significant increase in children's and visitors' hand hygiene (P [less than] 0.001).

Citation

Lary, D., Calvert, A., Nerlich, B., Segal, J., Vaughan, N., Randle, J., & Hardie, K. (2020). Improving children’s and their visitors’ hand hygiene compliance. Journal of Infection Prevention, 21(2), 60-67. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757177419892065

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 4, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Dec 16, 2019
• Publication Date: 2020-03
• Deposit Date: Oct 28, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 16, 2019
• Journal: Journal of Infection Prevention
• Print ISSN: 1757-1774
• Electronic ISSN: 1757-1782
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 60-67
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1757177419892065
• Keywords: Hand hygiene compliance; Children; Visitors; Educational intervention; Behavioural change; Infection prevention
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2980300
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1757177419892065