| Methods |
Prospective, open, cohort study carried out at the University of Colorado, Boulder campus during 8 weeks in the autumn‐winter of 2002. The study aimed at assessing the effects of hand hygiene on URTIs and absenteeism. Allocation was by residence hall with 2 halls doing "knowledge studies" being allocated, one to each arm |
| Participants |
430 students aged around 18 mainly females were recruited but only 188 in the intervention cluster and 203 in the control cluster completed at least 3 weeks' follow up. Students were recruited with cash incentives. No reasons for attrition are given |
| Interventions |
Education programme and alcohol gel adjunct to handwashing in residence halls versus standard hygiene |
| Outcomes |
Laboratory: in vitro testing of the antibacterial and antiviral properties of the hand rub
Effectiveness: URTI (at least 2 symptoms with one of them lasting at least 2 to 3 days. List of symptoms as follows: sore throat, stuffy nose, ear pain, painful/swollen neck, cough, chest congestion, sinus pain, fever, working days lost). Weekly surveys were carried out before during and after the study
Safety: N/A |
| Notes |
Risk of bias: medium
Notes: the authors conclude that the intervention resulted in significantly fewer symptoms (reductions of 14.8% to 39.9 %) and absenteeism (40% reduction). Unexplained attrition and unknown effect of cash incentives. Relatively unclear definition of illness with a hint of a sensitivity analysis in the footer to a table |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
N/A |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
N/A |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias)
All outcomes |
Unclear risk |
N/A |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Unclear risk |
N/A |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Unclear risk |
N/A |
