Exploring Determinants of Hand Hygiene among Nursing Students: A Theory of Planned Behavior Approach

Abstract

Abstract Background This study aims to assess the hand hygiene behavior of nursing students and identify the factors influencing this behavior through the "Scale for Assessment Hand Washing Behavior in the Frame of Theory of Planned Behaviour (SAHBTPB)". Methods This descriptive and cross-sectional study was undertaken at the nursing departments of the university's faculty of health sciences in İzmir, Turkey between 2021–2022. A total of 240 nursing students were recruited as participants for this study. Data were collected with the SAHBTPB. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Chi-square test, and correlation analysis in the SPSS 21.0 program (p < 0.05). Results Participation rate was 74.76%. The mean age of the students was 20.59 ± 1.59 years and 69.9% were woman. The nursing students’ total mean score of SAHBTPB was 147.5 ± 14.0 (min = 94; max = 176). There was a positively significant association between the total score and students' gender, graduate level, and hand hygiene education status. There was no significant difference in scale total score mean based on the existence of dermatological problems on the students' hands or their frequency of hand hygiene (p > 0.05). Conclusion The mean scores of nursing students on the SAHBTPB were found to be at a good level. The sub-dimension “intention” was identified as an effective factor in predicting the hand hygiene behavior of the students. The findings have the potential to positively impact nursing education by increasing awareness among students and offering valuable insights for nurses and educators.