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Hand hygiene during the COVID‐19 pandemic among people experiencing homelessness—Atlanta, Georgia, 2020
Author(s) -
Montgomery Martha P.,
Carry Monique G.,
GarciaWilliams Amanda G.,
Marshall Brittany,
Besrat Bethlehem,
Bejarano Franco,
Carlson Joshua,
Rutledge Ty,
Mosites Emily
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/jcop.22583
Subject(s) - hygiene , environmental health , pandemic , covid-19 , atlanta , medicine , psychology , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , metropolitan area , pathology
People experiencing homelessness are at risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and may experience barriers to hand hygiene, a primary recommendation for COVID‐19 prevention. We conducted in‐depth interviews with 51 people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in Atlanta, Georgia during May 2020 to August 2020 to (1) describe challenges and opportunities related to hand hygiene and (2) assess hand hygiene communication preferences. The primary hand hygiene barrier reported was limited access to facilities and supplies, which has disproportionately impacted people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. This lack of access has reportedly been exacerbated during COVID‐19 by the closure of public facilities and businesses. Increased access to housing and employment were identified as long‐term solutions to improving hand hygiene. Overall, participants expressed a preference for access to facilities and supplies over hand hygiene communication materials.