Can Face- and Smartphone-Touching Behaviors Be Altered with Personal Hygiene Reminders during the Covid-19 Pandemic Period? An Observational Study

As part of the new measures to prevent the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), medical students were advised to wear a mask in class and avoid touching their faces. Few studies have analyzed the influence of health education on the frequency of face- and smartphone-touching behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research compared the frequency of in-class face- and smartphone-touching behaviors of medical students before and after the delivery of personal hygiene education during the COVID-19 pandemic. A behavioral observational study was conducted involving medical students at Taipei Medical University. Eighty medical students were recruited during a lecture on otorhinolaryngology. All medical students were required to wear a mask. Their face- and smartphone-touching behavior was observed by viewing the 4 k resolution video tape recorded in class. The recording lasted for 2 h, comprising 1 h prior to the health educational reminder and 1 h afterwards. The frequencies of hand-to-face contact and hand-to-smartphone contact were analyzed before and after the delivery of health education emphasizing personal hygiene. Comprehensive health education and reminders effectively reduce the rate of face- and smartphone-touching behaviors

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Disease · Face masks · Face-to-face · Family medicine · Hygiene · Medical education · Medical emergency · Observational study · Pandemic · Personal hygiene · Personal protective equipment · Psychiatry · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Educational Environments and Student Outcomes · Infection Control and Ventilation · Medicine · Psychology · Otorhinolaryngology

• Physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of Sars-CoV-2 and Covid-19

  Open Access•Derek K Chu, Elie A Akl et al.•The Lancet•2020

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