33% of Adults Do Not Wash Hands After Using the Bathroom... Only 1% Wash Properly

KDCA Announces 2021 Community Infectious Disease Prevention Behavior Survey Results

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, only 66.3% of adults practice handwashing after using the restroom. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] A survey revealed that only 6 out of 10 adults wash their hands after using the restroom. Among those who wash their hands, the rate of not using soap was even higher.

Ahead of the upcoming 'Global Handwashing Day' on the 15th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on the 12th the results of the '2021 Community Infectious Disease Prevention Behavior Survey,' which observed 2,353 adults and 1,056 elementary school students in 1,248 public restrooms nationwide.

The survey results showed that the handwashing rate among adults after using the restroom was 66.3%, which is 9.1 percentage points (p) lower than the previous year's 75.4%. For elementary school students, the rate was higher at 69.6%.

Even among those who washed their hands, many did so with water only. Only 30.6% of adults and 29.2% of elementary school students used soap when washing their hands. Washing with water only accounted for 35.7% of adults and 40.4% of elementary school students.

The proportion of individuals who washed their hands properly using soap for more than 30 seconds was low for both adults (1.44%) and elementary school students (1.23%). The average handwashing time was 9.15 seconds for adults and 8.74 seconds for elementary school students, with elementary students washing their hands 0.4 seconds shorter on average.

The survey also inspected the facility environment, including soap availability and cleanliness of sinks in 1,248 public restrooms nationwide. Most restrooms (86.9%) were equipped with soap, and the floors and sinks were well maintained and clean.

Baek Kyung-ran, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated, "In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 and other infectious disease outbreaks, the importance of proper handwashing is emphasized more than ever," adding, "It is necessary to wash hands properly using soap."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.