Abstract:
Objective To investigate the current status of hand hygiene knowledge and behavior of residents in Guangdong province, China, and to provide a basis for further strengthening hand hygiene health education and improving hand hygiene behavior of residents.
Methods During the "Global Handwashing Day" in 2023, themed promotional activities were held in Guangdong Province. Residents' hand hygiene knowledge and behavior were assessed using the questionnaire "Current Status of Public Hand Hygiene Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors" designed by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. An univariate analysis of the factors influencing hand hygiene knowledge and behavior was conducted using the chi-square test, and a multivariate analysis was performed using binary Logistic regression.
Results A total of 26 340 valid questionnaires were collected. The hand hygiene knowledge awareness rate among Guangdong residents was 81.3%, while the rate of qualified hand hygiene behavior was 13.1% in 2023. Of the respondents, 85.6% washed their hands at least four times a day, 47.1% used soap or hand sanitizer at least four times a day, and 65.7% washed their hands in all nine handwashing scenarios. However, only 23.7% of respondents washed their hands for more than 20 seconds in most cases. The results of multivariate Logistic regression showed that being female (odds ratio OR=0.92, 95% confidence interval CI: 0.85-0.99) and medical staff (OR=0.35, 95% CI: 0.28-0.43) were protective factors for qualified hand hygiene behavior. However, living in non-Pearl River Delta (OR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.05-1.23), residing in rural areas (OR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.03-1.21), and being worker (OR=1.25, 95% CI: 1.05-1.48) were risk factors for qualified hand hygiene behavior.
Conclusion Guangdong residents have a high awareness rate of hand hygiene knowledge but a low rate of qualified hand hygiene behavior. The issue of inadequate handwashing duration was prominent, with short handwashing duration being the most significant factor contributing to the low rate of qualified hand hygiene behavior among residents.