Determinants of hygiene practices among mothers seeking delivery services from healthcare facilities in the Kampala metropolitan area, Uganda

ABSTRACT

Our study aimed at assessing the determinants of hand hygiene and utilisation of bathing facilities in healthcare facilities (HCFs) in the greater Kampala metropolitan area, Uganda. Results indicate that 19.9% of the respondents wished to wash hands and failed while 39.3% faced challenges related to bathing. Failure to wash hands was associated with received information on hand washing (APR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.06–1.24), using piped water (APR = 0.88, 95%CI: 0.78–0.98) or a well as the main water source at the HCF (APR = 1.21,95% CI: 1.03–1.42). Experiencing challenges of bathing was associated with accessing healthcare services at a hospital (APR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.81–0.97) and using public HCF (APR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01–1.120). There is urgent need to improve hand hygiene and bathing facilities though providing reliable water and soap.

KEYWORDS:

• Bathing
• hand hygiene
• wash
• healthcare facilities
• mothers

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the mothers who spared their invaluable time to participate in this study. Our gratitude also goes out to all the data collectors and the health care providers in the study facilities, without whom this study would not have been a success.

Declaration of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest