Current knowledge, attitude and behaviour of hand and food hygiene in a developed residential community of Singapore: a cross-sectional survey

Pang, Junxiong; Chua, Shao Wei Jonathan Lumen; Hsu, Liyang

doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1910-3

Table 2 Questionnaires and the response

From: Current knowledge, attitude and behaviour of hand and food hygiene in a developed residential community of Singapore: a cross-sectional survey

Questions*		(N = 240)	%
Hand Hygiene - Practice and Behaviour
Q1 How often do you wash your hands a day?
Never		0	0.0
1-3 times		18	7.5
4-8 times		106	44.2
>8 times		116	48.3
Q2 How often do you wash your hands with soap a day?
Never		4	1.7
1-3 times		65	27.1
4-8 times		110	45.8
>8 times		61	25.4
Q3 How often do you wash your hands with alcohol-based disinfectant a day?
Never		192	80.0
1-3 times		33	13.8
4-8 times		9	3.8
>8 times		6	2.5
Q4^Ɨ Do you wash your hands….	Median Score (IQR)	21	17-23
A. When your hands are visibly dirty?	Response: Soap	211	87.9
B. Before eating?	Response: Soap	117	48.8
C. Before handling food or cooking?	Response: Soap	141	58.8
D. After handling food or cooking?	Response: Soap	179	74.6
E. After defecation?	Response: Soap	207	86.3
F. After a toilet trip?	Response: Soap	174	72.5
G. After an outdoor physical activity?	Response: Soap	176	73.3
H. Before attending to a child or sick person?	Response: Soap	134	55.8
I. After attending to a child or sick person?	Response: Soap	147	61.3
J. After sneezing or coughing?	Response: Soap	103	42.9
K. After handling pets?	Response: Soap	172	71.7
L. With preference of using	Response: Liquid Soap	196	81.7
M. For about…	Response: >30s	111	46.3
Q5 Do you follow…
Step 1 of the 8 steps of hand washing?		211	87.9
Step 2 of the 8 steps of hand washing?		176	73.3
Step 3 of the 8 steps of hand washing?		152	63.3
Step 4 of the 8 steps of hand washing?		82	34.2
Step 5 of the 8 steps of hand washing?		74	30.8
Step 6 of the 8 steps of hand washing?		64	26.7
Step 7 of the 8 steps of hand washing?		103	42.9
Step 8 of the 8 steps of hand washing?		180	75.0
Q6 Do you feel it is troublesome washing your hands with soap?		27	11.3
Q7 Is hand washing with soap a habit for you?		207	86.3
Q8 Do you think you will encourage your family members and friends to pick up hand washing with soap, if they have not?		187	77.9
Q9 Do you think you will wash your hands with soap more often during disease outbreaks like the previous H1N1 or SARS?		189	78.8
Q10 Do you cover your mouth when you sneeze?		223	92.9
Q11 Do you wear a mask in public when you are sick?		75	31.3
Food Hygiene - Practice and Behaviour
Q12 Do you keep fresh food such as vegetables and meat separately in the refrigerator with the appropriate temperature?		232	96.7
Q13 Do you wash your food properly before cooking?		240	100.0
Q14 Do you have a chopping board that is only for vegetables, and another one just for meat?		136	56.7
Q15 Do you check the expiry date on the food packaging before purchasing or cooking the food?		226	94.2
Q16 Do you ensure the food is well-cooked before consumption?		236	98.3
Q17 Do you leave cooked food at room temperature for longer than two hours?		118	49.2
Q18 Do you reheat leftover food before consumption?		212	88.3
Q19Do you choose hawker stalls based on…
Their cleanliness grades awarded by NEA		47	19.6
The good recommendation of their food		98	40.8
The cleanliness of the stalls and the hygiene measures taken by their chef(s)		95	39.6
Q20 Do you choose restaurants based on…
Their cleanliness grades awarded by NEA		89	37.1
The good recommendation of their food		151	62.9
Q21 Will you provide feedback to the….
Restaurant or hawkers or food handlers if you have diarrhoea after consuming their food		83	34.6
NEA/MOH if you have diarrhoea after consuming food at a hawker or restaurant		47	19.6
None of the above		140	58.3
Q22 Would it be useful to have a web-portal or apps that you can report your diarrheal case?		152	63.3
Q23 When you have diarrhoea do you prefer to….
Self-medicate		89	37.1
Visit a GP		118	49.2
Visit polyclinic		7	2.9
Visit the hospital		26	10.8
Hand Hygiene - Knowledge and Attitude
Q24 Do you agree that washing your hands with soap can help to reduce the spread of diseases, like HFMD and flu?		232	96.7
Q25 Do you agree that washing your hands with soap can protect you from diarrheal diseases?		195	81.3
Q26 Do you agree that washing your hands with soap is more effective in the removal of pathogens than without soap?		231	96.3
Q27 Do you agree that washing your hands with alcohol based disinfectant is more effective than with soap?		138	57.5
Q28 Do you agree that the 8 steps for washing hands technique is effective in the removal of pathogens?		214	89.2
Q29 Do you agree that washing your hands with soap using the 8 steps for washing hands is important?		207	86.3
Q30 Do you agree that there should be more provisions for alcohol-based disinfectants on public transport systems, such as at the MRT stations or on the buses?		183	76.3
Q31 Do you agree that washing your hands keeps your hands too clean and it may lower your immunity against pathogens?		111	46.3
Q32 Do you agree that the emphasis on hand hygiene should be enforced since kindergarten?		236	98.3
Q33 Do you agree that you can reduce transmission of disease by covering your mouth when you sneeze?		234	97.5
Q34 Do you agree that wearing a mask can reduce transmission of disease when you have flu-like symptoms?		228	95.0
Q35 Do you think an annual hygiene campaign will be effective in encouraging you to have good hand hygiene practice?		206	85.8
Food Hygiene - Knowledge and Attitude
Q36 Do you agree that good food hygiene can help to reduce diarrheal incidence?		232	96.7
Q37 Do you agree that it is important to keep fresh food such as vegetable and meat separately in the refrigerator with the appropriate temperature?		234	97.5
Q38 Do you agree that proper washing of food before cooking can help to reduce the chance of diarrheal incidence?		235	97.9
Q39 Do you agree that leaving cooked food at room temperature for longer than two hours can increase the chance of diarrheal incidence?		182	75.8
Q40 Do you agree that leftover food should be reheated before serving?		224	93.3
Q41 Do you agree that checking the expiry date before purchasing or cooking the food can help to reduce the chance of diarrheal incidence?		233	97.1
Q42 Do you agree that using different chopping boards for meat and vegetables can help to reduce the chance of diarrheal incidence?		181	75.4
Q43 Do you agree that well-cooked food can help to reduce diarrheal incidence?		237	98.8
Q44 Do you agree that the emphasis of food hygiene should be enforced since kindergarten?		234	97.5
Q45 Do you think an annual hygiene campaign will be effective to encourage you to have good hygiene practices?		216	90.0

*Questions for which the response is not indicated would give the values for the positive answer
^ƗEach answer to the sub questions were assigned a value (none = 0, water only = 1, water and soap = 2), the summation of the scores were used in the analysis

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ISSN: 1471-2458

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