Perceptions and behaviors related to hand hygiene for the prevention of H1N1 influenza transmission among Korean university students during the peak pandemic period

Jae-Hyun Park,Seon-Ung Kim,Dae-Yong Son,Hae-Kwan Cheong,Chang-Min Ha

doi:10.1186/1471-2334-10-222

Abstract

BackgroundThis study was performed to better assess the perceptions, motivating factors, and behaviors associated with the use of hand washing to prevent H1N1 influenza transmission during the peak pandemic period in Korea.MethodsA cross-sectional survey questionnaire was completed by 942 students at a university campus in Suwon, Korea, between December 1 and 8, 2009. The survey included questions regarding individual perceptions, motivating factors, and behaviors associated with hand washing for the prevention of H1N1 influenza transmission.ResultsCompared to one year prior, 30.3% of participants reported increasing their hand washing frequency. Female students were more likely to practice more frequent hand washing. Women also perceived the effectiveness of hand washing to be lower, and illness severity and personal susceptibility to H1N1 infection to be higher. Study participants who were female (OR: 1.79-3.90) who perceived of hand washing to be effective (OR: 1.34-12.15) and illness severity to be greater (OR: 1.00-3.12) washed their hands more frequently.ConclusionsKorean students increased their frequency of hand hygiene practices during the pandemic, with significant gender differences existing in the attitudes and behaviors related to the use of hand hygiene as a means of disease prevention. Here, the factors that affected hand washing behavior were similar to those identified at the beginning of the H1N1 or SARS pandemics, suggesting that public education campaigns regarding hand hygiene are effective in altering individual hand hygiene habits during the peak periods of influenza transmission.

Highlights

This study was performed to better assess the perceptions, motivating factors, and behaviors associated with the use of hand washing to prevent H1N1 influenza transmission during the peak pandemic period in Korea
Our study demonstrates that, during the peak pandemic periods of H1N1 influenza, most subjects reported increasing their personal frequency of hand washing in order to prevent infection
Several previous studies conducted in Hong Kong during the SARS pandemic concluded exactly the opposite: these studies found that, when compared with women, men were less likely to believe that preventive behaviors were efficacious in controlling SARS [11,14,15]

Summary

Introduction

This study was performed to better assess the perceptions, motivating factors, and behaviors associated with the use of hand washing to prevent H1N1 influenza transmission during the peak pandemic period in Korea. In April 2009, a new strain of influenza virus - A/H1N1 began appearing in several different countries around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the influenza pandemic alert level to Phase 5 on April 29, 2009, and later to Phase 6, indicating that a full global pandemic was under way. In Korea, the first H1N1 influenza infection case was confirmed on May 3, 2009, and the first H1N1-related death occurred on August 15, 2009. The H1N1 infection rate peaked two months later in November 2009, at which time approximately 9,000 new cases of A/H1N1 influenza were being confirmed each day. By the end of the month, a total of 104 deaths had resulted from H1N1-related causes [2], leading the Korean government to declare a public “Emergency Response Level.”. By the end of the month, a total of 104 deaths had resulted from H1N1-related causes [2], leading the Korean government to declare a public “Emergency Response Level.” At that time, approximately one half of all patients seeking treatment for “common cold-like symptoms” were found to have H1N1 influenza[3]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion