Impact of COVID-19-related concerns and depression on hand-washing practice among community-dwelling older adults: a secondary analysis of the 2020 Korea Community Health Survey

Purpose: This study investigated hand-washing practice among community-dwelling older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and aimed to identify the impact of COVID-19-related concerns and depression on hand-washing practice. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data extracted from the 2020 Community Health Survey. The primary data were collected through self-reporting from August 10 to September 8, 2020 in a cross-sectional study. The subjects consisted of 1,350 adults aged 65 or older living in J Province who participated in the 2020 Community Health Survey. Results: The factors affecting hand-washing practice among older adults were male gender (β = –.18, p < .001), age (β = –.07, p = .001), no education (β = –.20, p < .001) and elementary, middle, and high school graduation (β = –.15, p < .001) compared to a college or higher education, poor health perception (β = –.13, p < .001), COVID-19-related concerns (β = .08, p = .005), and depression (β = –.07, p = .001). To summarize, the factors negatively affecting hand-washing practice included male gender, lower education level, poor health perception, and depression, while the factors positively associated with hand-washing practice included COVID-19-related concerns. Conclusion: These findings show the importance of considering these multifaceted determinants when designing targeted interventions and educational programs aimed at promoting hand-washing among older adults. Additionally, based on the relationship between hand-washing practice and COVID-19-related concerns and depression, interventions that can alleviate mental problems along with providing proper education are required.