Australia

Washing hands after using the toilet is taught to every child in the early years of childhood, but researchers from Australia's Food Safety Information Council have released the latest report card on the country’s hand-washing habits. They found out that almost 19% of Australians don’t wash their hands after using toilets, and almost half of the people, about 42%, admitted they don’t wash their hands every time before handling food. 

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A new report, in which hand washing practices of 1,229 people were surveyed, revealed the truth about hand hygiene in Australia. The report found that women do better than men when it comes to maintaining hygiene, like washing hands. However, there is not much difference, but 83% of women and 80% of men said they wash their hands every time after using the toilet. There is a difference, as 55% of men wash their hands before handling food, compared to 62% of women. 

The report suggests that age could be a factor to make a difference. People aged under 34 years, 64% of them wash their hands every time after using toilets, and the percentage of people washing their hands jumped to 86% for people over 65. However, these differences, like the gap between women’s and men’s hand-washing habits, are not completely unexpected, and the reasons behind them are still unclear. 

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Why people don't wash their hands?

Public health messaging often puts emphasis on how to wash hands properly, but there is very little research about how many people adopt these practices. 

One study based on this question in India asked school children about barriers to washing hands. Almost 91% had low “illness threat perception”, which means they did not perceive the risks of getting sick from not washing hands every time after using toilets. Interestingly, one of the biggest barriers for the children was the inability to see germs with their eyes, as cited by 46% of the children. While 72% said they would wash their hands only if their friends did. It is also interesting to speculate if these reasons could be applied to other age groups, as there is very little research to know. 

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What are the risks of not washing hands after using the toilet?

Faeces and urine contain millions of germs. When you use the washrooms and touch surfaces, you pick up germs. People who skip washing their hands carry those germs and deposit them on each surface they touch afterwards. They become a carrier to spread bacteria. It not only puts you at risk of getting ill but also impacts the health of other people, including those with weak immune systems, such as older people. 

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Hand washing is essential before eating or cooking. If your hands contain disease-causing germs, skipping washing your hands could transfer them to food, where they can even multiply and produce toxins. Therefore, people who eat the food can get sick and often suffer from diarrhoea and vomiting. In other possibilities, several foods naturally carry germs before cooking, like salmonella and campylobacter bacteria in raw poultry. So, if you don’t wash your hands after handling these foods, you can spread germs and infections.

How to wash your hands properly?

It is suggested to wash hands with soap for at least 20 seconds and rinse well under running water to remove bugs. Always dry your hands with a clean towel for at least 20 seconds to avoid spreading the bugs. 

Therefore, washing hands is important to keep yourself and the people around you healthy and prevent you from catching illness 

(With inputs from agencies)