Factors predicting infection prevention and control practices and hand hygiene compliance among childcare workers

Infection prevention and control (IPC), particularly hand hygiene (HH), is essential for reducing communicable diseases in daycare centers, where young children are highly vulnerable to infection transmission. This study aimed to identify factors predicting IPC practices and HH compliance among childcare workers in daycare centers in Bangkok, Thailand. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 180 childcare workers from 90 daycare centers selected using stratified random sampling. Validated questionnaires assessed IPC knowledge, attitudes, practices, self-efficacy, HH intention, and HH compliance. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation, multiple linear regression, and logistic regression. IPC attitudes and self-efficacy significantly predicted IPC practices, accounting for 20% of the variance ( R² = 0.200, F = 7.190, p < 0.001). IPC attitudes ( β = 0.167, p = 0.020) and IPC self-efficacy ( β = 0.387, p < 0.001) were positively associated with IPC practices. Other examined variables, including HH intention and sociodemographic characteristics, did not significantly predict HH compliance. The HH compliance model demonstrated limited explanatory power ( R² = 0.011, adjusted R² = −0.012, p = 0.744). These findings suggest that IPC attitudes and self-efficacy may play important roles in IPC practices among childcare workers, whereas knowledge alone was not significantly associated with practices. Interventions targeting IPC attitudes and self-efficacy may help strengthen IPC practices. Future studies should examine additional organizational and contextual factors that may influence IPC practices and HH compliance in daycare settings.