title: Face touching: a frequent habit that has implications for hand hygiene.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is limited literature on the frequency of face-touching behavior as a potential vector for the self-inoculation and transmission of Staphylococcus aureus and other common respiratory infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  A behavioral observation study was undertaken involving medical students at the University of New South Wales. Their face-touching behavior was observed via videotape recording. Using standardized scoring sheets, the frequency of hand-to-face contacts with mucosal or nonmucosal areas was tallied and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On average, each of the 26 observed students touched their face 23 times per hour. Of all face touches, 44% (1,024/2,346) involved contact with a mucous membrane, whereas 56% (1,322/2,346) of contacts involved nonmucosal areas. Of mucous membrane touches observed, 36% (372) involved the mouth, 31% (318) involved the nose, 27% (273) involved the eyes, and 6% (61) were a combination of these regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing medical students' awareness of their habituated face-touching behavior and improving their understanding of self-inoculation as a route of transmission may help to improve hand hygiene compliance. Hand hygiene programs aiming to improve compliance with before and after patient contact should include a message that mouth and nose touching is a common practice. Hand hygiene is therefore an essential and inexpensive preventive method to break the colonization and transmission cycle associated with self-inoculation.
authors: School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors: Yen Lee Angela
authors: YL
authors: Kwok
authors: School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Gralton
authors: School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: m.mclaws@unsw.edu.au.
authors: Mary-Louise
authors: ML
authors: McLaws
mesh_terms: D005145:Face / Q000382:microbiology*; D006184:Habits; D063373:Hand Hygiene; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health; D013337:Students, Medical
keywords: Face touching; Hand hygiene compliance; Medical students; Self-inoculation
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