Assessment of knowledge and behavior on hand hygiene in health care workers

Abstract

Objective: Hand hygiene is a basic measure for the control of hospital-acquired infections. However, sustained compliance with hand hygiene in health care workers is poor. The purpose of this study was to investigate the practices and knowledge level about hand hygiene among health care workers in our hospital. Materials and Methods: This study was performed in Diyarbakir Training and Research Hospital in May 2013. A total of 179 health care workers (HCWs) were included in the study. A questionnaire was administered to HCWs to assess their knowledge and practices on hand hygiene. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 16.0 program was used for the evaluation of data. Results: Of 179 patients in the study, 123 (68.7%) were male and 56 (31.3%) were female. The mean age was 28.7 years (18-56 years). A hundred and thirty-three (74.3%) of HCWs had received training on hand hygiene. However, it was determined that the knowledge levels and practices of HCWs on hand hygiene were inadequate. Conclusion: It is important that health care workers should be educated about hand hygiene. In addition, it is necessary to improve the physical conditions of our hospital.