Disease Control Agency Survey of 4,795 Adults
About 30% Do Not Wash Hands After Using the Bathroom
Among adults in our country, only one out of ten practices "proper handwashing" by washing their hands with soap for more than 30 seconds after using the restroom.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 13th, a survey on handwashing habits was conducted from August 14 to September 13 in collaboration with the International Korean Nurses Foundation, targeting 4,795 adults (3,217 observed and 1,578 surveyed). The rate of handwashing after using the restroom was 71.1%, which is an increase of 4.9 percentage points compared to the previous year (66.2%).
Among those who washed their hands, only 11.2% washed all surfaces of their hands with soap for more than 30 seconds. Although this is an improvement from last year (5.9%), it still means that only one out of ten people wash their hands properly. The rate of washing hands with soap was 25.4%, which decreased compared to the previous year (29.4%).
The average total time spent washing hands in public restrooms was 11.3 seconds, slightly longer than last year's 10.5 seconds. The time spent rubbing hands with soap foam also increased slightly to 7.0 seconds from 5.3 seconds last year.
When adults who participated in the survey were asked why they do not wash their hands even after using public restrooms, the most common answer was "because it is bothersome" (38.8%). This was followed by "because I am busy" (25.0%) and "because it is not a habit" (15.2%).
Breaking down those who did not wash their hands by gender, 37.5% of men (1,593 people) and 20.4% of women (1,624 people) did not wash their hands after using the restroom. By age group, the rates were 23.3% for those in their 20s and 30s, 28.4% for those in their 40s and 50s, and 36.6% for those aged 60 and above, showing that the higher the age group, the higher the rate of not washing hands.
Regarding reasons for not using soap when washing hands, about one in three (30.8%) answered "because my hands do not seem very dirty," followed by "because it is bothersome" (23.6%) and "because I am busy" (17.3%). Respondents believed that the availability of paper towels (27.8%), installation of liquid soap (23.1%), and improvement of hygiene conditions (19.8%) would increase the rate of handwashing.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency stated, "This survey confirmed that the overall awareness of handwashing has improved, as the 'handwashing practice rate' increased compared to last year, but the practice rate of 'proper handwashing' remains low." According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, practicing proper handwashing can prevent 20% of respiratory diseases and 30% of diarrheal diseases.
On the occasion of the 16th World Handwashing Day (October 15), the agency plans to promote the importance of proper handwashing for infectious disease prevention and conduct online and offline public awareness campaigns. The agency especially urged people to always wash their hands with soap for more than 30 seconds before and after meals and after using the restroom.
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