Promoting Hand Sanitizer Use in a University Cafeteria

Handwashing is the most cost-efficient method to lower the risk of the transmission of infectious diseases. Especially before eating in public places like cafeterias, handwashing is recommended. Often, people do not wash their hands before eating because of the response effort associated with going to the bathroom. As an alternative way to improve hygiene, disinfection with a hand sanitizer gel is recommended. The current study used an A-B-C-A design (and a no-intervention control site) with prompts and feedback to increase the number of cafeteria patrons using hand sanitizer. Dispensers for hand sanitizer gel were placed at the entrance area of two halls of a university cafeteria. Intervention took place in one hall, whereas the other served as a control. After baseline, a poster explaining the usefulness of hand sanitizing was posted near the entrance of the cafeteria. This led to a doubling of the percentage of cafeteria patrons using the hand sanitizer, from 10.79% during baseline to 24.45%. A second poster provided feedback about the percentage of patrons sanitizing their hands and asked for more participation. This led to no further increases in hand sanitizing (23.73%). After all posters were removed, the percentage dropped to 15.63% in the mean. This research demonstrated that a simple, informative prompt can have a considerable impact on hand-sanitizing behavior. However, the role of feedback in such interventions remains questionable.