A cross-sectional study on knowledge, attitudes, and practices of hand hygiene in medical and dental undergraduate students of central Indian Region Amid COVID-19

Context: Effective hand hygiene (HH) is one of the most important measures to prevent the cross-transmission of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, especially among health professionals. There are very limited studies that have aimed at investigating HH practices among medical and dental students in the period of their professional formation. Aims: This study aim's to measure the quality of HH practices, attitudes, and knowledge among the medical and dental students during the corona pandemic in health science institutes of Maharashtra. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study through Google Form-based closed-ended questionnaires where options were given. Materials and Methods: All students associated with patient clinics during their academic learning were eligible for inclusion in the study. The knowledge, attitudes, and opinions regarding HH practices were collected through an online Google Form questionnaire. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi-square and “t” tests were used to find out the statistical difference between the two groups. Results: Both medical and dental undergraduate students showed a moderate level of HH knowledge, whereas dental students have a lower level of attitudes and practices of HH as compared to the medical undergraduates. Conclusion: Undergraduate health-care students need to be increased emphasis on HH education and improvement in their current primary training and also there is an urgent need for educational and motivational intervention particularly targeted at dental students.