Dettol Habit survey conducted by global scientific experts conclude personality traits and good manners affect health and strongest determinant of good household hygiene in the Middle East is contamination sensitivity.
Dubai. 31 May 2011 - The international Dettol HABIT Study (Hygiene: Attitudes, Behaviour, Insight and Traits) revealed conscientious/dependable and nervous/sensitive personality types experience 10% fewer colds and diarrhoea than others and may be more likely to practise better personal and domestic hygiene habits. In addition the study, which was carried out in 12 countries around the world including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, found that people who have good manners have better personal hygiene and are almost two and a half times more likely to have good health with low levels of colds and diarrhoea. These results increase awareness of the key factors that influence different hygiene behaviours and highlight the importance of good hygiene (such as effective hand washing and household cleaning) and good manners (such as covering your mouth when sneezing or coughing) in breaking the chain of infection.
Findings from the Middle East (which are composed of data from two countries - Saudi Arabia and UAE) is the only region in which the data was collected by face-to-face interview. Some of the results were expected such as those relating to gender where women report doing more household cleaning however others created what the experts refer to as, 'the most idiosyncratic set of results of any country in the global study'. For example the results show that someone who cares about being mannerly is less likely to declare a preference for antibacterial soap and unusually, men (not women) are more likely to report better health. In addition, in terms of age older people are more likely to report regular hand washing with soap.
Professor Tariq Madani, Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Advisor to His Excellency the Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia commented "Previous studies have shown that intensive hygiene education plus the regular use of disinfectants (soap, surface cleaner, and skin disinfectant) can significantly reduce the risk of illness among children.[1],[2] These new findings from the Dettol HABIT study further emphasise how improved hygiene behaviour (such as hand washing and surface cleaning) can effectively stop the spread of germs and protect health. Practicing good hygiene is not simply the concern of women, more conscientious people or those who live in a dirty environment; it is everyone's responsibility and is vital in breaking the chain of infection."
Professor John Oxford, Chairman of the Hygiene Council and Professor of Virology at Barts and The London School of Dentistry commented, "Understanding what drives hygiene behaviour is very valuable. The study uncovered characteristics and traits which are associated with good hygiene and health outcomes such as conscientiousness and practicing hygiene automatically or routinely. We want people to recognise where they may be falling down and take action to make hygiene a habit. Teach your children good manners and build hygiene into your everyday routine."
The study also showed that tidy/orderly individuals are more hygienic than messy/chaotic people, women and older people tend to be more hygienic than men and younger people and that homemakers display the highest levels of personal and household hygiene whilst students and office workers display the worst. Levels of personal and household hygiene were highest when hygiene habits were undertaken automatically or as part of everyday routine and for those who are aware of the threat of germs. In addition, people who have heard of antibacterial soap are significantly more likely to have better personal hygiene habits.
For media enquiries, please contact:Rahma Al Nabhani : rahma@graylingmomentum.com Mob: +971557404500
Karen Fitzpatrick : karen@graylingmomentum.com Mob: +97150 453 0644
Further information please visit:
[ADAPT FOR LOCAL PRODUCT NEEDS]
Hygiene Council: www.hygienecouncil.com
Reckitt Benckiser: http://www.reckittbenckiser.com/
Reckitt Professional: http://www.reckittprofessional.com/
Dettol: http://www.dettol.com/ and http://www.dettol.co.uk
Dettol HABIT Study
The research study, which constitutes the largest hygiene survey ever undertaken (to our knowledge), was undertaken to characterise the key determinants of personal and household hygiene behaviours that affect health cross-culturally; to pinpoint the key factors in different personalities and settings that determine hygiene behaviour, and highlight those that can be modified to improve health. The study was conducted from January to March 2011 by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in partnership with the Hygiene Council.
It was a strictly questionnaire-based study, with 1000 participants from 12 countries responding to 130 questions on hand-washing, surface cleaning and food preparation, handling and storage techniques, as well as their own history of health problems and demographics. The countries involved were the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Australia, Brazil, China, and India.
Data was primarily collected through responses to web-based questionnaires. To ensure a study sample truly representative of the population, telephone calls and face-to-face interviews were conducted in some markets (South Africa, Middle East, Malaysia, Brazil, China, and India) to ensure the lower socioeconomic demographic was adequately captured. Standard multivariate statistical analyses were performed on the resulting datasets to determine how personality variation, hygiene practices, socio-economic factors and infectious disease outcomes inter-relate.
The Hygiene Council
The Hygiene Council is an initiative bringing together leading global experts in the field of microbiology, virology, infectious diseases, immunology, and public health to formulate realistic and practical recommendations on simple hygiene measures to help the public improve levels of hygiene in the home and community and, in turn, help to prevent the spread of all kinds of infections.
The Hygiene Council members
Professor John Oxford, Professor of Virology at St Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK (Chair)
Professor Philip M. Tierno, Director Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, New York University Langone Medical Center, Clinical Professor of Microbiology and Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, USA
Dr Laura A Jana, Board-certified paediatrician and parenting expert, USA
Professor Barry D. Schoub, Executive Director, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa
Dr Christopher Lee, Consultant Physician Infectious Diseases, Sungai Buloh Hospital, Malaysia
Professor Martin Exner, Managing Director, Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, University of Bonn, Germany
Professor Carlo Signorelli, Full professor of Hygiene and Public Health, University of Parma, Member of National Board of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SItI) and Provincial Councillor for Environmental policies (Lecco, Italy), Italy
Professor Tariq Ahmed Madani, Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Advisor to His Excellency the Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Dr Donald E. Low, Medical Director, Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion, Canada
Dr Kgosi Letlape, Executive Director of the Tshepang Trust, President of the Africa Medical Association, immediate Past Chairperson of the South African Medical Association (SAMA) and Past President of the World Medical Association (WMA), South Africa
Professor Dominic Dwyer, Clinical Professor, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney and Professor of Virology at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
Dr Narendra Saini, Head of Department Microbiology & Immunology and Chairman Hospital Infection Control committee, Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital, Vaishali, India
Professor Eitan N Berezin, President Infectious Diseases Society, Brazilian Pediatrics Society, Brazil
Dr Xuhui Zhong, Attending Physician, Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
Professor Patrice Courvalin, Director of Antibacterial agents at the Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
Professor Mitsuo Kaku, Department of Infection Control & Laboratory Diagnostics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
Joe Rubino, Director Shared Services, R&D Laboratories, Reckitt Benckiser
The Hygiene Council is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Reckitt Benckiser. For further information, please visit the Hygiene Council website at www.hygienecouncil.com.
The Hygiene Council is now on Twitter! Follow us @hygienecouncil
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is Britain's national school of public health and a leading postgraduate institution worldwide for research and postgraduate education in global health. Part of the University of London, the London School is the largest institution of its kind in Europe and one of the highest-rated research institutions in the UK with a remarkable depth and breadth of expertise encompassing many disciplines. It is committed to contributing to the improvement of health worldwide through the pursuit of excellence in research, postgraduate teaching and advanced training in national and international public health and tropical medicine, and through informing policy and practice in these areas.
-Ends-
References
[1] Cole E, Hawkley M, Rubino J, McCue K, Crookston B, and Dixon J. Comprehensive family hygiene promotion in peri-urban Cape Town: Gastrointestinal and skin disease reduction in children under five. 13th ICID; abstract no 68.012.
[2] Cole E, Hawkley M, Rubino J, McCue K, Crookston B, and Dixon J. Comprehensive family hygiene promotion in peri-urban Cape Town: Gastrointestinal and skin disease reduction in children under five. 13th ICID; abstract no 68.030.
© Press Release 2011
