There are four main ways of measuring hygiene behaviour change outcomes:
Structured observation at households,
Household spot-checks,
Structured observation or spot checks at public facilities,
Self-reported behaviour.
Below we describe how these can be applied to measuring handwashing behaviour and highlight strengths and limitations of each method in general, as well as during the COVID-19 outbreak. These methods can be adapted to measure other preventative behaviours too.
Want to learn more about adapting hygiene project outcome measures for COVID-19 response?
Should in-person data collection be considered during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Is it appropriate and safe to conduct structured observations of household handwashing behaviour?
Is it appropriate and safe to conduct household level spot checks of handwashing facilities?
Is it appropriate and safe to conduct structured observations and spot checks at public facilities?
What are the benefits and limitations of using self-reported handwashing outcome measures?
Editor's Note
Authors: Fiona Majorin and Julie Watson
Review: Deepak Saxena, Katie Greenland, Hans Mosler, Dr Robina Shaheen
Last update: 11.06.2020