FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2006
CONTACTS:
William Fisher
NSF International
Phone: (734) 827-6824
Email: fisher@nsf.org
Rebecca Herbst
Olson
Phone: (612) 215-9828
Email: rherbst@oco.com
Inconsistent Hygiene Habits Widespread in American Schools
NSF International Survey Finds Kids Are Not Washing Up, Despite Teachers' Best Efforts
ANN ARBOR, MI - 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Eighty-six percent of teachers clean classrooms themselves to supplement janitorial services in schools.
- Eighty percent of teachers reported using hand sanitizing gels to help clean kids' hands.
- 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-Mo™. Gel-Mo™ 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:
- Interactive games that are fun, yet teach you how to properly wash up
- Educational music and activities to download
- Public service announcement
- Tips for parents on teaching kids how to wash their hands
- 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.