Assessing Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Hand Hygiene Among University Students

Objective: Proper hand hygiene is the key to reducing occurrence of infectious diseases in many different types of communities, including the healthcare settings, daycare centers, and grade schools. College students have been found to inadequately wash their hands, which increases their chances of contracting infectious diseases. The purpose of this research is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of hand hygiene among students at a large midwestern university. Participants and Methods: Using a cross- sectional survey, and three self-reported questionnaires, data were collected from 406 undergraduate students, ages 18 years of age and above enrolled at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Results: Findings indicate that although participants in this current study had high levels of knowledge, attitude and practices of hand hygiene, there were gaps in their knowledge, attitude and practices. Recommendations for future research and for health educators were offered