Abstract
Frequent hand hygiene, including handwashing with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer containing ≥60% alcohol when soap and water are not readily available, is one of several critical prevention measures recommended to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).* Previous studies identified demographic factors associated with handwashing among U.S. adults during the COVID-19 pandemic (1,2); however, demographic factors associated with hand sanitizing and experiences and beliefs associated with hand hygiene have not been well characterized. To evaluate these factors, an Internet-based survey was conducted among U.S. adults aged ≥18 years during June 24-30, 2020. Overall, 85.2% of respondents reported always or often engaging in hand hygiene following contact with high-touch public surfaces such as shopping carts, gas pumps, and automatic teller machines (ATMs).† Respondents who were male (versus female) and of younger age reported lower handwashing and hand sanitizing rates, as did respondents who reported lower concern about their own infection with SARS-CoV-2§ and respondents without personal experience with COVID-19. Focused health promotion efforts to increase hand hygiene adherence should include increasing visibility and accessibility of handwashing and hand sanitizing materials in public settings, along with targeted communication to males and younger adults with focused messages that address COVID-19 risk perception.
Highlights
What is already known about this topic
What is added by this report
These findings highlight the need for continued health communication and outreach promoting hand hygiene
Summary
Demographic Characteristics, Experiences, and Beliefs Associated with Hand Hygiene Among Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020. PhD, MD1,3,6; Shantha M.W. Rajaratnam, PhD1,2,3,6; Mark E. Com), a commercial survey company with a network of participant pools comprising hundreds of suppliers and with varying recruitment methodologies that include digital advertisements and promotions, word-of-mouth and membership referrals, social networks, television and radio advertisements, and offline mail-based approaches This analysis focused on questions about hand hygiene behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. With handwashing and hand sanitizing frequency as dependent variables for separate models, adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for hand hygiene frequency were estimated using weighted ordered logistic regressions with the following explanatory variables: gender, age, race/ethnicity, 2019 household income, U.S Census region,¶¶ rural/urban residence,*** whether respondents knew someone who had positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 or who was hospitalized for or died from COVID-19, and concern for personal risk for infection with SARS-CoV-2 (from “Not at all” to “Extremely”).
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