A comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices of hand hygiene between in-service healthcare workers in East Trinidad and Tobago

Background Hand hygiene (HH) stands at the forefront of the defence against the spread of disease and Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs). Gaps may exist among the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAPs) of Healthcare Workers (HCWs). This study explores these gaps to understand the scope of the problem in East Trinidad. Method A cross-sectional study of in-service HCWs employed at the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) was conducted using convenience sampling to meet a pre-determined sample size. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Staff surveyed included medical and non-medical staff. IBM SPSS Version-29 was used for data analysis. Results Sixty one percent of staff received formal HH training while 39.4% of staff did not. Medical staff demonstrated higher levels of knowledge, more positive attitudes and adequate practices of HH. Female sex (p = 0.002) and profession (nurse and medical professionals [p = 0.031]) displayed a significant positive relationship to HH Knowledge. Regrading knowledge of optimal bed: hand wash basin ratios, 36.9% of participants selected '1 to 10.' Female sex showed more positive attitudes to HH as a means of reducing HAI's (p = 0.033) and better practices of HH based on the WHO's 5 moments (p < 0.001). Medical staff agreed that they perform HH even if they do not directly interact with patients compared to non-medical staff (p < 0.001). Conclusion Disparities were noted with females exhibiting more positive attitudes and better practices towards HH compared to males. Profession played a role with medical staff demonstrating higher adherence to HH than non-medical staff. Targeted intervention is recommended for male non-medical staff.