Applying PCT to hand hygiene

Our own introspections and observations show we wash our hands in different ways on different occasions – even within same environment such as a toilet. Research evidence shows that hand hygiene is highly variable between individuals and even varies on a global scale between nations. In settings such as hospitals, food preparation industries and public toilets etc., the variability of hand washing has unintended consequences for individuals and communities because it spreads deleterious organisms responsible for diseases such as gastro-intestinal (GI) and respiratory tract (RT) infections. In this paper we propose that the far-reaching fundamental insights of PCT can be applied to understanding hand washing – that people control for the perception of having ‘clean’ handsand behaviour is the variable means by which people control the perception of having ‘clean hands’. We nominate likely controlled variables in the hierarchy and discuss some of the implications for health interventions.