University students' hand hygiene practice during a gastrointestinal outbreak in residence: what they say they do and what they actually do.
Published research on outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness has focused primarily on the results of epidemiological and clinical data collected postoutbreak; little research has been done on actual preventative practices during an outbreak. In this study, the authors observed student compliance with hand hygiene recommendations at the height of a suspected norovirus outbreak in a university residence in Ontario, Canada. Data on observed practices was compared to postoutbreak self-report surveys administered to students to examine their beliefs and perceptions about hand hygiene. Observed compliance with prescribed hand hygiene recommendations occurred 17.4% of the time. Despite knowledge of hand hygiene protocols and low compliance, 83.0% of students indicated that they practiced correct hand hygiene during the outbreak. To proactively prepare for future outbreaks, a current and thorough crisis communications and management strategy, targeted at a university student audience and supplemented with proper hand washing tools, should be enacted by residence administration.
Surgeoner
Brae V
BV
Kansas State University, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
Chapman
Benjamin J
BJ
Powell
Douglas A
DA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult