How many people don't wash their hands after using the toilet? Shocking report released

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, hand washing and gargling have been recommended, and the importance of 'washing your hands' in daily life has been emphasized. However, it seems that many people still do not have the habit of washing their hands, and the Australian Food Safety Information Council has reported shocking results in a report on hand washing habits in the country.

foodsafety.asn.au Latest report card on Aussie handwashing – blokes still need to do better! Global Handwashing Day 15 October 2024 - foodsafety.asn.au
https://www.foodsafety.asn.au/topic/latest-report-card-on-aussie-handwashing-blokes-still-need-to-do-better-global-handwashing-day-15-october-2024/

1 in 5 Australians admit they don't wash their hands every time they use the toilet
https://theconversation.com/1-in-5-australians-admit-they-dont-wash-their-hands-every-time-they-use-the-toilet-241481

The Food Safety Information Council conducted an online survey of 1,229 people aged 18 years or over from 22 to 27 August 2024. Results were weighted by Australia's 2021 Census based on age, sex, region and highest level of education to reflect the full population distribution.

The survey found that 19% of Australians say they don't always wash their hands after using the toilet, up two percentage points from the 2023 survey.

Additionally, 42% of people overall admitted that they 'don't always wash their hands before touching food,' an increase of 8 percentage points compared to FY2023.

Looking at gender differences, 80% of men and 83% of women answered that they wash their hands after going to the toilet. Also, 55% of men and 62% of women answered that they wash their hands before touching food. In both cases, the percentage of people who do not wash their hands was higher for men.

In addition, when comparing young people under 34 years old with elderly people over 65 years old, 69% of young people answered that they 'wash their hands after going to the toilet,' while 86% of elderly people answered that they 'wash their hands before touching food,' showing that young people tend not to wash their hands. In addition, 67% of young people answered that they 'wash their hands before touching food,' while 66% of elderly people answered that they 'wash their hands before touching food,' showing that there was almost no difference by age when it came to touching food.

The middle-aged group, aged between 35 and 64, tended to have acquired the habit of washing their hands overall. The Food Safety Information Council analyzed the reason for this as 'because middle-aged people have become parents and therefore place more importance on cleanliness, or because they have become wiser as they get older.'

According to The Conversation, a foreign news media, a similar survey of children in India found that 91% of children were not aware of the fact that 'not washing your hands poses a threat to disease.' In other words, more than 90% of children did not understand the risk of infectious diseases from hand washing.

In addition, 46% of children answered that they don't see the point in washing their hands because they can't see the germs. However, in this Indian survey, 72% of children answered that they would wash their hands if their friends washed their hands.

The Conversation commented, 'It's tempting to speculate that these findings may apply to adults as well as children, but there isn't enough research yet to know. People's reasons for washing their hands, or not, probably change throughout their lives and in different situations.'

The Australian Food Safety Information Council lists the following four steps for washing your hands properly:
Wet your hands and rub the soap together for at least 20 seconds to create a lather. Be sure to wash between your fingers and under your nails. You can also use a nail brush.
- Rinse thoroughly with running water to remove any foam from your hands.
- Thoroughly dry your hands with a clean towel for at least 20 seconds, as touching anything with damp hands can make bacteria stick to your hands and spread more easily.
- If running water is not available, use an alcohol-based disinfectant.

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