Knowledge, Attitude, and Obstacles to Hand Hygiene Practices in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Preliminary Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: As a primary objective, this study aims to assess healthcare workers' knowledge and attitudes about hand hygiene (HH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A secondary objective is to identify barriers to HH implementation. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, a total of 203 employees worked at different departments, such as Intensive Care Unit, hospital wards, and surgery, of both genders were recruited from King Khaled University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Employees’ knowledge, attitude, and obstacles to adequate HH practice were assessed using an anonymous electronic questionnaire. Results: the mean percentage of the ideal answers of the knowledge and attitude questions was 46.8% (standard deviation (SD): 15.5), 49.6% (SD: 21.4) respectively. Department was the only socio-demographic variable significantly associated with knowledge (p=0.028). on the other hand, department and shift time were significantly associated with attitude (p= 0.005 and 0.030, respectively). No clear dominant obstacles were reported among participants. Conclusion: This study revealed that knowledge and practice of HH among Saudi health providers are currently insufficient. Further study involving a larger sample size with different sociodemographic characteristics is needed to explore the reasons for non-compliance.