Abstract
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) pose a significant challenge in resource-limited settings, such as Somalia, where hand hygiene is recognized as a primary preventive measure. This study assessed hand hygiene beliefs and practices among healthcare workers (HCWs) at a tertiary hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2024 involving 304 randomly selected HCWs at the Mogadishu Somali-Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan Training and Research Hospital. Data was collected using the Hand Hygiene Beliefs Scale (HHBS) and Hand Hygiene Practices Inventory (HHPI). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) to identify significant factors associated with belief and practice scores, with significance set at . The findings revealed a strong belief in hand hygiene but only moderate adherence to practices. The multivariable GLM analysis indicated that for hand hygiene beliefs, holding a Master’s degree degree \((\beta=-0.257,p=0.041)\) and having 10–15 years of experience \((\beta=-0.391, p=0.001)\) were significantly associated with lower practice scores. A significant discrepancy exists between hand hygiene beliefs and practices, influenced heavily by educational level, profession, and years of experience. Enhancing patient safety requires targeted, systemic interventions, such as peer-mentoring for nurses, refresher training for mid-career professionals, and specialized monitoring in high-risk departments to bridge the gap between belief and clinical application.
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The data used in this study shall be available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.
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Acknowledgements
The authors sincerely thank all individuals and teams contributing to the data collection process. Furthermore, the authors thank Abdifatah Abdullahi Jalei for his valuable support and constructive feedback during the review of the methodological section and the preparation of the manuscript. Lastly, the authors are profoundly grateful to all participants for their time and significant contributions, without which this research would not have been feasible.
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Figen Balcioglu contributed to the conceptualization, methodology, supervision, and preparation of the original draft of the study. Marian Muse Osman was involved in investigation, formal analysis, manuscript review and editing. Tigad Abdisad ALI handled data curation, investigation, and project administration. Suad Abdikarim ISSE participated in data collection and contributed to the review and editing of the manuscript. Ahmed DOGAN was responsible for software, validation, and visualization. Ali Kutta Celik contributed to the formal analysis, provided resources, and assisted with the review and editing. Fadumo Nur Adan supported the investigation and data curation. Fartuun Ahmed Mahmud contributed to project administration and supervision. Yahye Sheikh Abdulle Hassan led the conceptualization, performed all data analysis, conducted formal analysis, supervised, and served as the corresponding author.
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Balcioğlu, F., Osman, M.M., Ali, T.A. et al. Evaluation of hand hygiene belief and practice among healthcare workers at tertiary hospital, mogadishu, somalia: a cross-sectional study. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34843-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34843-1
