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Good hygiene is essential for good health.

Some older people face specific barriers in maintaining hygiene, especially if they are frail, have problems with continence or need help with toileting and bathing. Many more older people live in developing countries than rich ones, but there is little research about their hygiene.

This research studies the hygiene behaviours of care-dependent older people living in poor urban neighbourhoods in Brazil.

The study involves surveys, interviews, and focus groups with older people, family members, paid carers and local health and social care professionals. The aim is to find out about hygiene behaviours, and what factors influence them. Factors may relate to the older person’s capacity (for example, their mobility or memory), their surroundings (for example, access to appropriate hygiene facilities) or their caregivers (such as motivation to assist in hygiene practices). The consequences of poor hygiene, including health conditions such as urinary tract infections, pressure ulcers, and diarrhoea, are also being assessed in relation to specific hygiene practices. Working with local experts benchmarks for good hygiene behaviour appropriate for the study population will be established.

Throughout the study, close collaboration is maintained with older people, caregivers, health workers and other experts. It is anticipated that the research will provide useful evidence about the scale and underlying causes of problems associated with hygiene behaviours. Key insights will be shared with national and local government agencies, with a view to planning responses and appropriate interventions.

The project is also expected to be relevant to other countries, and close collaboration is maintained with global agencies, such as the World Health Organisation, with whom strong links already exist.

• Research Team Members: Berenice Temoteo da Silva, Karla Giacomin, Diane Bunn & Lee Hooper