Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions Towards Hand Hygiene of Optometry Students Pre- and Peri-COVID-19 at a Tertiary Institution in Johannesburg, South Africa

Figures & data

Table 1 Age and Gender of Third and Fourth Year Students in 2019 and 2022

	Third Years^a		Fourth Years		Total
	2019	2022	2019	2022	2019	2022
n	29	38	38	40	67	78
Age	21.83 yrs. ± 3.636	21.08 yrs. ± 1.514	22.64 yrs. ± 1.347	22.40 yrs. ± 1.837	22.29 yrs. ± 2.59	21.76 yrs. ± 1.8
Males	n = 9 (28%)	n = 10 (26%)	n = 8 (21%)	n = 10 (25%)	17 (24%)	20 (26%)
Females	n = 23 (72%)	n = 28 (74%)	n = 31 (80%)	n = 30 (75%)	54 (76%)	58 (74%)

Note: ^aA small number of third year students omitted their age on the research questionnaire.

Figure 1 Students’ responses pre-COVID-19 (2019) and peri-COVID-19 (2022) to the routine use of alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR).

Figure 2 Summary of student perceptions related to the importance of hand hygiene practices and patient safety at the institution, comparing pre-COVID-19 (2019) and peri-COVID-19 (2022).

Figure 3 Students’ perception of the value that is being attached to fellow students (colleagues) watching hand hygiene practices being performed, comparing pre-COVID-19 (2019) and peri-COVID-19 (2022).

Figure 4 The perception of students related to the importance that patients may attach to watching hand hygiene practices being performed, comparing pre-COVID-19 (2019) and peri-COVID-19 (2022).

Figure 5 The students’ perception related to the effort they have to put in by performing hand hygiene practices while examining patients, comparing pre-COVID-19 (2019) and peri-COVID-19 (2022).