Hand Hygiene Behaviors in Adult Individuals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Changed?

Yıl 2023, Cilt: 16 Sayı: 2, 189 - 200, 15.04.2023

Kadriye Sayın Kasar Emine Karaman Yasemin Yıldırım

https://doi.org/10.46483/deuhfed.1009461

Öz

Background: Hand washing is vital to prevent the spread of the agent from person to person during
epidemic periods and to reduce the impact of the pandemic on people’s lives, health, livelihoods
and health system.

Objective: This study was conducted to examine the hand hygiene behavior of adults during the
COVID-19 pandemic period.

Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was completed between 15 October 2020 and
30 November 2020 via Google Forms with 627 adult individuals. The data were collected with a
questionnaire form created by the researchers as a result of the relevant literature review.

Results: During the pandemic period, 91.4% of the participants stated that the habit of hand
washing increased. It was observed that handwashing status of participants during the pandemic
process changed in terms of age group, gender and those who considerg hand hygiene important
in combating the epidemic (p<.05). When handwashing behavior of the participants during the
COVID-19 pandemic was examined, it was found that only 14.5% of the participants washed their
hands before entering a toilet. Nearly all of the participants (96.7%) stated that they wash their
hands after using a toilet, 92.7% after coming from outside, 84.1% after shopping, and more than
half (52.2%) after meeting with friends or relatives.

Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, awareness of adult individuals about the importance
of proper hand hygiene has changed. Handwashing behaviors of individuals in the society change
during the pandemic period and this requires the attention of health professionals in particular.

Anahtar Kelimeler

COVID-19 Pandemic, Hand Hygiene, Outbreak, Adult Individuals, Nursing

Destekleyen Kurum

Yok

Teşekkür

The authors would like to offer their special thanks to the study team. We also thank all of the patients who participated in the study.

COVID-19 Pandemisi Sırasında Yetişkin Bireylerde El Hijyen Davranışları: Ne Değişti?

Öz

Giriş: El yıkama, salgın dönemlerinde etkenin kişiden kişiye yayılmasını önlemek ve pandeminin
bireylerin yaşamı, sağlığı, geçim kaynakları ve sağlık sistemi üzerindeki etkisini azaltmak için
hayati önem taşımaktadır.

Amaç: Bu çalışma, COVID-19 pandemi döneminde yetişkinlerin el hijyeni davranışlarını
incelemek amacıyla yapılmıştır.

Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı ve kesitsel tipteki bu araştırma 15 Ekim 2020 - 30 Kasım 2020 arasında
Google Forms aracılığıyla 627 yetişkin birey ile tamamlanmıştır. Veriler, ilgili literatür taraması
sonucunda araştırmacılar tarafından oluşturulan anket formu ile toplanmıştır.

Bulgular: Pandemi döneminde katılımcıların %91.4’ü el yıkama alışkanlığının arttığını
belirtmektedir. Katılımcıların pandemi sürecinde el yıkama durumlarının yaş grubu, cinsiyet
ve salgınla mücadelede el hijyenine önem verenlere göre değiştiği görülmektedir (p<.05).
Katılımcıların COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında el yıkama davranışları incelendiğinde, katılımcıların
sadece %14.5’inin tuvalete girmeden önce ellerini yıkadığı tespit edilmiştir. Katılımcıların %96.7’si
tuvaleti kullandıktan sonra, %92.7’si dışarıdan geldikten sonra, %84.1’i alışveriş yaptıktan sonra ve
yarısından fazlası (%52.2) arkadaş veya akraba ile görüştükten sonra ellerini yıkadığını belirtmiştir.

Sonuç: COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında yetişkin bireylerin uygun el hijyeninin önemine ilişkin
farkındalıkları değişmiştir. Pandemi döneminde toplumdaki bireylerin el yıkama davranışları
değişmekte ve bu durum özellikle sağlık profesyonellerinin dikkatini gerektirmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

COVID-19 Pandemisi, El Hijyeni, Salgın, Yetişkin Bireyler, Hemşirelik

Kaynakça

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