The Effect of an Educational Hand Washing Program on Knowledge, Attitude and Performance of Hand Washing in Undergraduates

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of hand washing education programs on knowledge, attitude and performance of hand washing in Undergraduates. Methods: The study used a nonequivalent control group quasi-experimental design. A total of 118 students in K university in Seoul, Korea, participated in this study. 67 students were included in the experimental group and 51 students were in the control group. The experimental group was given a lecture, Educational Hand Washing Program, developed by researchers. Using a structural questionnaire, the students' perception on hand washing was measured before and after the intervention, in terms of knowledge, attitude, and performance at home and school. Results: The experimental group showed significantly higher scores in knowledge (p=.033), attitude (p<.001), and performance at home (p=.001). However, the performance at school didn't show a significant difference between the two groups (p=.063). Conclusion: The results indicate that education is effective in enhancing knowledge, attitude, and performance of hand washing.