title: Determinants of hand hygiene compliance in Egypt: building blocks for a communication strategy.
abstract: Hand hygiene of health-care staff is one of the most important interventions in reducing transmission of nosocomial infections. This qualitative study aimed to understand the behavioural determinants of hand hygiene in order to develop sustainable interventions to promote hand hygiene in hospitals. Fourteen focus group discussions were conducted with nurses in 2 university hospitals in Egypt. The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was conducted by 2 independent investigators. The findings highlighted that nurses did not perceive the benefits of hand hygiene, and that they linked the need to wash hands to a sense of dirtiness. Knowledge of hand hygiene and related products was limited and preference for water and soap was obvious. Environmental constraints, lack of role models and social control were identified as barriers for compliance with hand hygiene. A multi-faceted hand hygiene strategy was developed based on existing cultural concepts valued by the hospital staff.
authors.affiliation: United States Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: A-L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Lohiniva
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bassim
authors.affiliation: Alexandria University Hospitals, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hafez
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kamel
authors.affiliation: Alexandria University Hospitals, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: United States Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saeed
authors.affiliation: United States Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Talaat
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D063373:Hand Hygiene; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D010564:Personnel, Hospital