Using behavior change theories to enhance hand hygiene behavior.

It is well-documented that proper hand hygiene reduces nosocomial infections (Centers for Disease Control, 2000), while it is also well-documented that compliance by health care providers to proper hand hygiene remains less than satisfactory (Larson et al., 2001). It is the purpose of this brief communication to propose a theoretically driven approach that can be used by health educators in a variety of settings focusing on different target groups. While most research and interventions on hand hygiene have focused on the specific needs of health care providers (e.g. physicians and nurses), a theoretically based approach would be equally applicable to a variety of targeted groups, such as lay care providers, professional food handlers, home food prep, crowded conditions of dorms and classrooms and toddlers in day care centers, with some modifications.