Knowledge, Beliefs and Self-reported Practices of Hand Hygiene among Egyptian Medical Students: Does Gender Difference Play a Role?

Abstract

Background: Hand hygiene (HH) is the most cost-effective and practical measure to reduce the healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). This study aimed to assess medical students' knowledge, beliefs and practices of HH and to shed light on the effect of gender. 

Methods: A descriptive comparative study was conducted during August 2016 on a convenient sample of 285 senior medical students. Knowledge, beliefs and practices of HH were compared between males and females medical students using the English version of the Hand Hygiene Questionnaire (HHQ). 

Results: The mean age of participating students was 24.8±0.97. Males represented 55.8% of the sample. Females had significantly better knowledge on HH than males (p <0.001). Females also had significantly better practice and positive belief towards HH than males. 

Conclusions: Gender differences can be observed in knowledge, belief, and practice of HH among medical students. Female had better knowledge and self-reported practice than male students. Emphasizing the importance of HH in education and assessment, particularly in the clinical settings will help to facilitate a more encouraging culture towards HH. The gender differences highlighted in this study call for educational interventions to improve HH. The interventions have to be targeted and gender-specific to meet the demands of the students. A nationwide study of a bigger sample covering all medical faculties in Egypt should be undertaken to confirm these results.