Hand hygiene practices during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated factors among barbers and beauty salon workers in Ethiopia

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is still causing morbidity and mortality all over the world. Preventive measures such as wearing a facemask, social distancing and hand hygiene continue to be the only options available in countries such as Ethiopia where vaccines are not yet widely available. Hand hygiene is one of the easiest and cheapest preventive measures, and one that is especially important for barbers and beauty salon workers who are widely exposed to the virus due to their contact with many customers. Therefore, measuring the proportion of good hand hygiene practices and associated factors among barbers and beauty salon workers may provide essential guidance in the development of effective interventions to improve COVID-19 prevention measures. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 410 barbers and beauty salon workers in Dessie City and Kombolcha Town from January 5 to February 10, 2021. The study participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire and an observational checklist were used to collect the data. The collected data were entered into EpiData version 4.6 and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. Logistic regression analysis using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models was employed. From the bivariate analysis, variables with p <0.25 were retained into multivariable logistic regression analysis. Finally, from the multivariable analysis, variables that had a p-value < 0.05 were declared as factors significantly associated with good hand hygiene practices. Of the total 410 barbers and beauty salon workers, 52.9% [95% CI: 48.3–57.6] had good hand hygiene practices whereas 47.1% [95% CI: 42.4–51.7] had poor hand hygiene practices. From the total respondents, more than half 250 (61%) were male and 160 (39%) were female, with a mean age of 27.42 ±7.37 years. Out of 410 barbers and beauty salon workers, 73.7% had good knowledge about COVID-19 and 59.5% had a positive attitude towards taking precautions against COVID-19. Female sex (AOR = 2.17, 95% CI:1.29–3.65), educational level of college or above (AOR = 5.53, 95% CI:2.85–10.71), positive attitude towards taking precautions against COVID-19 (AOR = 2.4, 95% CI:1.46–4.17), belief in the effectiveness of hand hygiene practices (AOR = 3.78, 95% CI:2.18–6.55) and presence of a hand-washing facility with soap and water (AOR = 5.55, 95% CI:3.28–9.40) were factors significantly associated with good hand hygiene practices among barbers and beauty salon workers. The proportion of good hand hygiene practice was not sufficient to combat the virus. Good hand hygiene practice was higher among those with higher educational level, positive attitude towards taking precautions against COVID-19, belief in the effectiveness of hand hygiene practices, presence of a hand-washing facility with soap and water and those of female sex. Thus, improving hand hygiene practices through continued training, especially for those with a lower educational level and for male workers, is recommended. Moreover, government and non-government organizations should work together to provide alcohol-based hand sanitizer at a low cost to those barbershops and beauty salons if there is no access to water and soap.