scholarly journals To investigate the association between the health literacy and hand hygiene practices of the older adults to help them fight against infectious diseases in Hong Kong

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 485-489
Author(s):  
Peggy Pui-Lai Or ◽  
Bonny Yee-Man Wong ◽  
Joanne Wai-Yee Chung
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Hygiene Practices

scholarly journals Hand Hygiene Practices Among Adults with Diabetes Living in Communities: The 2015 Korea Community Health Survey

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1279
Author(s):  
Mi Ah Han
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Improve Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Community Health Survey

Hand hygiene is the most effective strategy to prevent infectious diseases. This study investigated and compared the hand hygiene practices of adults with diabetes and an age- and gender-matched comparison group. Adults with diabetes (n = 22,920) who participated in the 2015 Korea Community Health Survey and an appropriate comparison group (n = 22,920) were selected. Descriptive analyses, chi-square tests, and multiple logistic regression analyses were used. Greater than 98% of participants with diabetes recognized that hand hygiene helps prevent infectious diseases. Among participants with diabetes, 84.3%, 82.4%, 72.5%, and 64.1% washed their hands frequently before eating, after using the restroom, after returning from the outdoors, and with soap or hand sanitizer, respectively, but these values were significantly lower than those of the comparison group. After performing multiple regression analyses, treatments for diabetes, being educated about diabetes management and handwashing, and awareness of hemoglobin A1c levels were significantly associated with hand hygiene practices in participants with diabetes. Almost all people with diabetes were aware of the efficacy of hand hygiene, but handwashing rates were significantly lower in people with diabetes than in the comparison group. Considering treatments for diabetes, educational campaigns regarding handwashing, and increasing awareness of handwashing efficacy will help improve hand hygiene in people with diabetes.

scholarly journals A mixed-methods study on toilet hygiene practices among Chinese in Hong Kong

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wu ◽  
Tai Pong Lam ◽  
Hoi Yan Chan ◽  
Kwok Fai Lam ◽  
Xu Dong Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Improvement Measures ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Public Toilets

Abstract Background Public toilets are a common transmission vector of infectious diseases due to environmental contamination. Research on Chinese people’s hygiene practices in public lavatories are lacking. This study examined Chinese people’s hygiene practices in public lavatories in Hong Kong. Methods We conducted qualitative interviews and a self-administered questionnaire survey with local residents from June 2016 to April 2018. Four focus group discussions and three individual interviews informed the design of the questionnaire. We recruited interviewees and survey respondents via social service centers. The interviews and questionnaire focused on the public’s daily practices and hygiene behaviors in public toilets. Content analysis of qualitative data was conducted. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine the association between age and toilet hygiene behaviors. Results Our qualitative component revealed a range of handwashing practices, from not washing at all, washing without soap, to washing for a longer time than instructions. Other toilet use practices were identified, such as not covering toilet lid before flushing and stepping on toilet seats due to dirtiness, and spitting into toilet bowls or hand basin. Totally, 300 respondents completed the questionnaire. Among them, 212 (70.9%) were female and 246 (86.1%) were aged 65 or below. More than two thirds always washed hands with soap (68.7%) and dried hands with paper towels (68.4%). Up to 16.2% reported stepping on toilet seats and 43.9% never covered the toilet lid before flushing. Over one fourth (26.4%) spit into squat toilets/ toilet bowl. Regression analyses showed that the elderly group were less likely to report stepping on toilet seats (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 0.17, 95%CI 0.03–0.88), flushing with the toilet lid closed (AOR = 0.40, 0.16–0.96), but more likely to spit into squat toilets/ toilet bowl (AOR = 4.20, 1.50–11.74). Conclusions Hong Kong Chinese’s compliance to hygiene practices in public toilets is suboptimal. Stepping on toilet seat is a unique Chinese practice due to the dirtiness of toilet seats. Spitting practices may increase the risk of airborne infectious diseases and need improvement. Measures are needed to improve toilet hygiene behaviors, including public education campaigns and keeping toilet environment clean.

scholarly journals Associations Between Hand Hygiene Education and Self-Reported Hand-Washing Behaviors Among Korean Adults During MERS-CoV Outbreak

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jieun Yang ◽  
Eun-Cheol Park ◽  
Sang Ah Lee ◽  
Sang Gyu Lee
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Multiple Linear Regression Model ◽  
Hand Washing ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Total Study Population ◽  
Korean Adults ◽  
Promotional Materials ◽  
Hygiene Education

Background. Hand washing is an effective way to prevent transmission of infectious diseases. Education and promotional materials about hand washing may change individuals’ awareness toward hand washing. Infectious disease outbreak may also affect individuals’ awareness. Aims. Our study aimed to examine associations between hand-washing education and self-reported hand-washing behaviors among Korean adults during the year of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak. Methods. Data from the 2015 Community Health Survey were used for this study. The total study population comprised 222,599 individuals who were older than 20 years of age. A multiple linear regression model was used to investigate associations between hand hygiene education and self-reported hand-washing behaviors. Subgroup analyses stratified by age, sex, income, and MERS outbreak regions were also performed. Results. Individuals who received hand-washing education or saw promotional materials related to hand washing had significantly higher scores for self-reported use of soap or sanitizer (β = 0.177, P < .0001) and self-reported frequency of hand washing (β = 0.481, P < .0001) than those who did not have such experiences. The effect of hand-washing education on self-reported behavior change was greater among older adults, women, and lower income earners. The effect of hand hygiene education on self-reported use of soap or sanitizer was similar regardless of whether the participants lived in MERS regions. Conclusion. Our findings emphasize the importance of education or promotions encouraging hand washing, especially for older adults, women, and lower income earners. In addition, MERS outbreak itself affected individuals’ awareness of hand-washing behaviors. Well-organized campaigns that consider these factors are needed to prevent infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Home Hygiene and Prevention of Infections

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. S79-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe F.Y Lai ◽  
Sukhpreet Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Indirect Contact ◽  
Institutional Settings ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Public Areas ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Risk Of Disease ◽  
Prevention Of Infections

Health is wealth - a famous proverb that almost everyone has heard of but may not have fully understood its essence. Health comes from maintaining cleanliness and hygiene which starts from home and expands to workplaces and public areas. By practicing hygiene in the home and everyday life settings, it will have impact significantly in reducing the global burden of infectious diseases that kills over 17 million people a year. Mainly caused by microorganisms, infections can easily spread by direct and indirect contact. Common infectious diseases include chickenpox, common cold, malaria and pertussis. These diseases tend to have specific symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, fatigue and muscle aches. In institutional settings, such as schools and child-cares settings, information relating hand hygiene is routine. However, the home environment is one of the potential sources of transmission of infectious diseases. This situation, of course, needs to be re-evaluated and the promotion of home hygiene should be encouraged. Positive correlation has been found between home hygiene practices and risk of disease transmission in homes where the first line of defence against infectious diseases is cleaning and disinfecting plus maintaining good hand hygiene. But, the implementation for an effective policy to monitor home hygiene is rather complex due to varying determinants of health. In a nutshell, proper home hygiene and cleaning practices lead to reduced risk of spreading infectious diseases. They should form the key issues in the practice of health promotion in the community and institutions.

scholarly journals Detailed Analysis of Surface Infection Barrier on Hands: Relationship with Morbidity to Infection Diseases and Identification of Antimicrobial Components

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuki Nishioka ◽  
Kenichi Nagano ◽  
Yoshitaka Koga ◽  
Yasuhiro Okada ◽  
Ichiro Mori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
Lactic Acid ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Organic Acids ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
History Of ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractAlthough the surface of hands in humans is known to harbor high levels of antimicrobial activity, reports investigating the relationship between antimicrobial activity and morbidity in infectious diseases are lacking. Additionally, the precise components involved in this activity are not known. Therefore, in this study, a method was developed to quantitatively measure the antimicrobial activity of the components found on the surface of hands, which was then compared with the medical history of the participants for infectious diseases. As a result, the antimicrobial activity of the surface of the hands was found to be positively associated with the history of infection in individuals. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the components on the surface of hands indicated that organic acids and antimicrobial peptides are highly correlated with antimicrobial activity. The high amounts of lactic acid found on the surface of hands suggested it is an important factor in the hand surface infection barrier. Here we showed that the application of lactic acid within the range of the amounts present on the hand surface was found to significantly improve the antimicrobial activity of the hands. Taken together, these results demonstrate that this new method can be used to quantify antimicrobial activity, which opens new avenues for the development of hand hygiene practices by enhancing the antimicrobial activity on the surface of hands using natural ingredients against pathogens.

scholarly journals The Common Missed Handwashing Instances and Areas after 15 Years of Hand-Hygiene Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. W. Wong ◽  
J. K. F. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Multiple Logistic Regression ◽  
The Public ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
General Quality ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Hygiene Education

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) claimed the lives of 286 Hong Kong people in 2003. Since then, the Hong Kong government has been promoting the benefits of proper hand hygiene. There are few studies that explore the general quality of handwashing and the hand-hygiene practices of the public of Hong Kong; given this, the aim of this study is to explore this neglected topic. This study is a quantitative study that was conducted in January 2018. The results show that the majority of participants only wash their hands after using the toilet (87%) or handling vomitus or faecal matter (91%). The mean duration of handwashing was 36.54 seconds (SD = 18.57). The areas of the hand most neglected during handwashing were the fingertips (48.1%), medial area (30.5%), and back of the hand (28%). A multiple logistic regression shows that participants who have reached third-level education or higher often tend to be more hand hygienic than those who have not reached third-level education (p≤0.001, B = 1.003). Thus, participants aged 30 and above tend to neglect 5 more areas of the hand than those aged below 30 (p=0.001, B = 4.933).

Wireless Badge Tracks Hand-Hygiene Practices

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
MIRIAM E. TUCKER
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Hygiene Practices
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