Let's Shake On That!

The next time someone wants to shake your hand, you might want to think about whether or not that person has washed his hands after using the toilet.

If it's a guy, chances are that he has not washed his hands. You can feel more comfortable when shaking that woman's hand--she probably has washed it.

During an observational study published this month by the American Society of Microbiology, researchers lingered in public restrooms while ostensibly combing their hair or putting on makeup, etc. Secretly, they were counting how many people washed their hands after using the facilities.

They observed 6,336 individuals at six public attractions in four major cities: Atlanta (Turner Field); Chicago (Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium); New York City (Grand Central Station, Penn Station); And San Francisco (Ferry Terminal Farmers Market).

Although an August 2005 Harris Poll reported that 97% of women and 96% of men say they wash their hands after using a public restroom, direct observation showed a different story. The researchers found that, in fact, "Ninety percent of the women observed washed their hands, compared with 75 percent of men."

Atlanta's sports fans had the worst record:16% of the women and 37% of the men did not wash their hands before leaving the restroom. Women at the train station in New York seem to be a lot more careful than the men; with only 8% of them not washing their hands compared with 36% of the men not washing. The other two cities in the study seem to have cleaner people there, but they still did not even come close to what they reported in the Harris polls.

Children who develop bad hygiene habits usually carry those habits into adulthood. Studies show that children who wash their hand regularly miss less school due to illness than those who don't (and their parents miss less work).

Some good links that encourage children, in a fun way, to wash their hands; and for parents trying to train their children:

Washup.org

Free Downloadable Posters

Henry the Hand.com

KidsHealth.org

PARENTS' LINK at KidsHealth.org

And just remember: the next time you use that public restroom, someone really might be watching!