The effect of hand hygiene frequency on reducing acute respiratory infections in the community: a meta-analysis
Issued Date
2022-03-21
Resource Type
ISSN
09502688
eISSN
14694409
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85127923158
Pubmed ID
35445655
Journal Title
Epidemiology and Infection
Volume
150
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Epidemiology and Infection Vol.150 (2022)
Suggested Citation
Mo Y. The effect of hand hygiene frequency on reducing acute respiratory infections in the community: a meta-analysis. Epidemiology and Infection Vol.150 (2022). doi:10.1017/S0950268822000516 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/86025
Title
The effect of hand hygiene frequency on reducing acute respiratory infections in the community: a meta-analysis
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University
University Medical Center Utrecht
National University Hospital
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
National University of Singapore
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
Nuffield Department of Medicine
University Medical Center Utrecht
National University Hospital
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
National University of Singapore
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
Nuffield Department of Medicine
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Hand hygiene is a simple, low-cost intervention that may lead to substantial population-level effects in suppressing acute respiratory infection epidemics. However, quantification of the efficacy of hand hygiene on respiratory infection in the community is lacking. We searched PubMed for randomised controlled trials on the effect of hand hygiene for reducing acute respiratory infections in the community published before 11 March 2021. We performed a meta-regression analysis using a Bayesian mixed-effects model. A total of 105 publications were identified, out of which six studies reported hand hygiene frequencies. Four studies were performed in household settings and two were in schools. The average number of handwashing events per day ranged from one to eight in the control arms, and four to 17 in the intervention arms. We estimated that a single hand hygiene event is associated with a 3% (80% credible interval (-1% to 7%)) decrease in the daily probability of an acute respiratory infection. Three of these six studies were potentially at high risk of bias because the primary outcome depended on self-reporting of upper respiratory tract symptoms. Well-designed trials with an emphasis on monitoring hand hygiene adherence are needed to confirm these findings.