When it comes to hygiene habits, women deserve a hand.
According to a new U.S. observational study, 90 per cent of women wash their hands after using a public restroom, compared with 75 per cent of men.
The results were based on research conducted by the American Society for Microbiology and the Soap and Detergent Association.
Hand-washing tips
A second study was also conducted by telephone, asking Americans how frequently they wash their hands after using a public restroom.
In the telephone survey, 91 per cent of those polled said they wash their hands every time they use a communal restroom.
When researchers took a look for themselves, however, they found something different. Those findings suggested that only 83 per cent of those who used public restrooms later lathered up.
"Although many Americans are beginning to recognize the importance of washing their hands, we still need to reach many others," Judy Daly, director of microbiology labs at Salt Lake City's Primary Children's Medical Center, said.
"Our message is clear — one of the most effective tools in preventing the spread of infection is literally at our fingertips."
Among the cites observed in the study, fans at Atlanta's Turner Field had the worst hygiene habits, with more than one-quarter of people failing to wash up at using the facilities.
The biggest gender disparity was seen at New York's Penn Station, where 92 per cent of women washed their hands after going to the washroom, compared with only 64 per cent of men.
The most conscientious hand washers were observed at San Francisco's Ferry Terminal Farmers Market. In total, 88 per cent of those observed cleaned up after using the facilities.
In the telephone survey — based on a nationally representative sample of 1,013 American adults — the majority of those polled said they always washed their hands after using a public washroom.
At home, 83 per cent said they always cleaned up after freshening up. As well, 77 per cent said they washed before handling or eating food and 73 per cent said they made a trip to the sink after changing a diaper.
Poorer habits were seen in other activities.
Only 42 per cent washed after petting a dog or cat and 21 per cent did likewise after handling money. Roughly 32 per cent washed their hands after coughing or sneezing — 24 per cent of men and 39 per cent of women.
The findings were released in conjunction with National Hands Clean week in the United States, which runs until Sept. 24.
