title: Relationship between knowledge and attitudes of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and hand hygiene behavior in Veterans with spinal cord injury and disorder.
abstract: The objective of this analysis was to understand the relationship between knowledge and attitudes regarding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and hand hygiene behavior based on a baseline survey administered to Veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders. Higher knowledge was associated with higher attitude scores (r = 0.35, P = .003), but knowledge and attitudes were not associated with behavior. Also, those with quadriplegia had higher knowledge scores (P = .03). Knowledge and attitudes, although related, do not appear to fully explain patients' hand hygiene behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare and Spinal Cord Injury Quality Enhancement Research Initiative, Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital, Hines, IL. Electronic address: Swetha.Ramanathan@va.gov.
authors.forename: Swetha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramanathan
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare and Spinal Cord Injury Quality Enhancement Research Initiative, Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital, Hines, IL.
authors.forename: Jennifer N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Preventive Medicine and Center for Healthcare Studies, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Kenzie A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, University of Wisconsin and William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI.
authors.forename: Nasia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Safdar
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare and Spinal Cord Injury Quality Enhancement Research Initiative, Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital, Hines, IL.
authors.forename: Marylou
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guihan
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare and Spinal Cord Injury Quality Enhancement Research Initiative, Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital, Hines, IL; Department of Preventive Medicine and Center for Healthcare Studies, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Charlesnika T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D063373:Hand Hygiene; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014728:Veterans; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attitudes; Hand hygiene behavior; Knowledge; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Spinal cord injury; Veterans