Inconsistent Hygiene Habits Widespread in American Schools
NSF International Survey Finds Kids Are Not Washing Up, Despite Teachers' Best
Efforts
Kids have never been fans of homework, but according to a new survey, they're
more likely to do homework than use hand soap when washing their hands.
NSF International (NSF), an independent, not-for-profit organization, recently
conducted a survey of 500 K-5 teachers to learn more about the battle to beat
germs in U.S. elementary schools. According to the teacher survey, NSF found
that nearly half of elementary school teachers (42 percent) say it's more
difficult to get students to use soap when washing their hands than it is to
get them to do their homework, even though nearly all teachers (98 percent)
talk to their students about handwashing.
"Handwashing is the easiest, most-important thing we can do to prevent the
spread of illness, but kids are kids and they don't always remember to wash
their hands when they should," said William Fisher, vice president of NSF
International. "What this survey found is that teachers in this country are
doing their best to help educate students about the importance of handwashing.
A key part of that is knowing where germs lurk and how proper handwashing will
help fight illness."
Additional findings from NSF's survey include:
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Kids get dirtier as they get older. A disturbing 39 percent of 4-5th grade
teachers and 34 percent of 2nd-3rd grade teachers report that their students
are guilty of multiple bad handwashing habits such as not washing their hand
before eating or after they use the bathroom, compared to 29 percent of K-1st
grade teachers.
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Eighty-four percent of teachers say that parents send a sick child to school
all or some of the time due to the fact that a child may be unable to stay at
home.
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Eighty-six percent of teachers clean classrooms themselves to supplement
janitorial services in schools.
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Eighty percent of teachers reported using hand sanitizing gels to help clean
kids' hands.
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Fourteen percent of teachers correctly identified the drinking fountain as one
of the "germiest" surfaces in the school. A previous germ survey by NSF
International found that the drinking fountain has the most germs of any
surface in a school.
"While these findings raise questions about hygiene, it is important to mention
that there are resources available to help teachers and parents get kids
excited about handwashing," said Fisher. "Because kids often respond to
entertaining, educational material, we have created the Scrub Club® - an
interactive, entertaining public service Web site that teaches kids how to
properly wash their hands."
Handwashing Help from the Scrub Club®
Developed by NSF International, The Scrub Club® (www.scrubclub.org)
provides a fun way for kids to learn the importance of handwashing to fight
infectious and foodborne diseases. By watching the adventures of seven
"soaper-heroes," kids learn the six steps to proper handwashing.
In October, the Scrub Club introduced a new character to the mix - Gel-MoT.
Gel-MoT is a friend of The Scrub Club and encourages kids to use hand sanitizer
to fight off germs when soap and water are not available. Kids and their
parents who visit this free site can download the storybook "Gel-Mo on the Go"
to learn how hand sanitizer can fight the cold and flu.
In addition to the storybook and an animated "Webisode," kids, parents and
teachers can access:
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Interactive games that are fun, yet teach you how to properly wash up
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Educational music and activities to download
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Public service announcement
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Tips for parents on teaching kids how to wash their hands
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Curriculum guide for teachers
"Millions of school days are lost each year due to illness and it's our goal to
help reduce that number," said Fisher. "The activities and materials on this
site not only enhance its educational value, but also make it fun for kids to
return time and time again. Hopefully, they end up spending more time in the
classroom and less time at the doctor's office."
About the Survey:
The Scrub Club Teacher Tell-All Kids' Hand Washing Survey of 500 teachers was
conducted by Kelton Research between October 19th and November 1st, 2006.
Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S.
population of teachers of grades K-5. Results of any sample are subject to
sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is
affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages
expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100
that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 4.4 percentage
points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted
with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
About NSF International:
NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect
you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water, air and
consumer goods (www.nsf.org).
Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety
worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and
Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits
for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered
through NSF International Strategic Registrations, Ltd., organic certification
provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF
Center for Public Health Education.