COM-B Hand Hygiene Behavior Questionnaire (COM-B HHB)
Measures healthcare professionals' capability, opportunity, motivation, and self-reported behavior regarding hand hygiene.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The COM-B Hand Hygiene Behavior Questionnaire (COM-B HHB) was developed by Paul O’Connor and Sinead Lydon (2020). It is designed to measure Hand hygiene behavior determinants. The scale is intended for use with Healthcare professionals.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 22 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | 1,2,3,4,5 | 5 |
| Opportunity | 6,7,8,9,10,11,12 | 7 |
| Motivation | 13,14,15,16,17 | 5 |
| Behaviour | 18,19,20,21,22 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly disagree (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation subscales), 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly agree (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation subscales), 0 = 0 (Behaviour subscale), 1_b = 1, 2_b = 2, 3_b = 3, 4_b = 4 (Behaviour subscale).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 5. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low adherence/agreement: 1 – 2
- Moderate adherence/agreement: 3 – 3
- High adherence/agreement: 4 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Reliable and valid (CFA supported 17-item core structure for COM factors).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.