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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Joy L. Anderson, MS¹, Melissa Cole, BS², Reggie I. Louis, BS¹, Elena Perez, BS², Stephanie Phillips, BS², Cynthia A. Warren, MS², Jean Wheeler, BS², and Ranjita Misra, PhD³. (1) Center for the Study of Health Disparities, Texas A&M University, 4243 TAMU, 606 Harrington Tower, College Station, TX 77843-4243, 979-862-2964, jlanderson@hlkn.tamu.edu, (2) Health & Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, 4243 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4243, (3) Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, 4243 TAMU, 158P Read Building, College Station, TX 77843

Hand hygiene, a key in preventing disease, is considered a social norm. However, poor hand washing behavior has been associated with illness outbreaks on various college campuses. The purpose of this observational study was to examine hand washing behaviors among male and female college students on a university campus in four different hand washing settings: soap and water present, hand sanitizer present, visual prompt to wash hands present, and both hand sanitizer and visual prompt present. The degree of hand hygiene was also observed, i.e., use of hand sanitizer or hand washing with use of soap for an adequate period of time (20 seconds) and method(s) of drying hands after hand washing. Fourteen hundred observations were made of both male and female college students from various campus restroom locations. The majority of the respondents were females (86%) and Whites (73%). Overall 81% of students practiced good hand hygiene – either with use of soap or hand sanitizer; 72% used soap and 36% washed for an adequate amount of time. Use of paper towels was the most common method of drying the hands (96%). Significant gender and ethnic differences were noted with higher percent of females and non-Whites practicing adequate hand washing than males and Whites. Although visual prompts were ineffective in improving hand washing in general, it significantly improved hand hygiene for respondents in the “other” ethnic category. Few students used hand sanitizer when given the option. Results have implications for health education programs for college students.

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