Background: Hand hygiene is an important healthcare issue globally and is a single most cost-effective and practical measure to reduce the incidence of healthcare associated infection (HCAIs) and the spread of antimicrobial resistance across all settings from advanced healthcare systems to primary healthcare center.
Objective: To evaluate knowledge of healthcare workers (HCWs) about hand hygiene and to assess practice of hand hygiene and identify obstacles among them at Armed Forces Military Hospitals in Taif.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study implemented included a representative sample of HCWs in Armed Forces Military Hospitals, Taif region. Two questionnaires were used for gathering data, based mainly on data collection instrument developed and validated by the WHO and CDC. The first questionnaire was self-administered questionnaire and composed of 24 points regarding demographics and hand hygiene knowledge. The second questionnaire was fulfilled by infectious control staff to assess infrastructure and practice of participants regarding handwashing by observation and decided whether these items either met or not met the guidelines.
Result: A total of 347 HCWs in Taif Military Hospitals participated in the study with a response rate of 96.1%. The age of 45.2% of them was ≤ 30 years. Most of them (75.5%) were female subjects. Most of the surveyed HCWs (83.3%) reported getting formal training in hand hygiene in the last 3 years. Hand hygiene knowledge score was very good among 19% of HCWs, while it was good among 60% of them. Insufficient hand hygiene knowledge was reported among 21% of HCWs. Those working in Al-Hada Hospital and joined this health facility since more than 3 months showed better significant knowledge of hand hygiene. On the other hand, practice score was excellent among more than three-quarters of the participants (76.1%). Female subjects, nurses, and those working at Al-Hada Hospital and in the Departments of Obstetrics and Intensive Care Unit showed better significant hand hygiene practice. The commonly reported obstacles for following guidelines of hand hygiene as mentioned by HCWs were that emergency and other priorities make hand hygiene more difficult at times, the frequency of required hand hygiene make it difficult for them to carry it out as often as necessary, and that there are some practical barriers to hand hygiene because of their particular job/role.
Conclusion: Overall, hand hygiene knowledge score was good and above among 79% of HCWs in Taif Armed Forces Hospitals. On the other hand, practice score was excellent among more than three-quarters of the participants. Insufficient hand hygiene knowledge was reported among a considerable proportion of HCWs (21%).
Key words: Hand hygiene, healthcare workers, knowledge, practice; military, Saudi Arabia
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