tailieunhanh - Understanding the awareness and practice of hand washing among diverse population

Hand washing prevents the transmission of infections including waterborne, parasitic and nosocomial infections. Hand washing is the most effective and cheaper method of preventing the spread of germs. The main aim of the study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, behavior and practice of hand washing among the heterogeneous population including Doctors, Nurses, Medical students, Paramedical staffs, Non-Medical students, School children and mothers of under-five in Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu. Method of study is cross-sectional study, study conducted for 2 months from June-August 2015. Among the 400 participants, 10% doctors, nurses, 25% medical students, Para-medical staffs, 25% Nonmedical students, school children and mothers of under-five were participated. The data were analyzed and found that the knowledge among doctors, nurses, medical students, Para-medical staffs, Non-medical students, school children and mothers was , , , , , and respectively. The attitude among doctors, nurses, medical students, Para-medical staffs, Non-medical students, school children and mothers was , , , , 83%, and respectively. The practice of hand washing among, nurses, medical students, Para-medical staffs, Nonmedical students, school children and mothers was , , , , , 44% and 45% respectively. For medical professionals it is mandatory to wash hands before and after touching patients and after handling infectious materials but this survey didn’t reveal the expected results from the healthcare professionals and others. Hence the hand washing procedures should be included in the curriculum from the elementary level to higher level. | Understanding the awareness and practice of hand washing among diverse population