Shorter handwashing at school than at home: perceived environmental factors
- 1Division of Health Sciences, Program of Next-Generation Medical Technology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Niigata University
- 2Sakeology Center, Niigata University
- 3Professional School of Teacher Education, Niigata University
Abstract
Introduction: Handwashing after toilet use is an important hygiene practice, but the school environment in which children wash their hands has received comparatively little attention. This study examined perceived differences in handwashing duration between school and home and reasons for shorter handwashing at school among schoolchildren.
Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous, web-based questionnaire was administered to elementary and junior high school students in Niigata, Japan. Handwashing practices, perceived school–home differences in handwashing duration, reasons for shorter handwashing at school, and desired improvements to school toilets were assessed. Exploratory adenosine triphosphate, diphosphate, and monophosphate (A3) measurements of hands ( n = 4) and restroom surfaces were conducted as complementary assessments.
Results: Among 195 participants with available data, 43 (22.1%) reported shorter handwashing at school than at home. Among 153 participants with available handwashing-duration data and a definite school–home comparison, the shorter group reported a significantly shorter duration than the not-shorter group (median [interquartile range], 15.0 s [10.0–20.0] vs. 20.0 s [10.0–30.0]; p = 0.014). Concern about other people (33.3%) and short break times (28.6%) were the most frequently reported reasons for shorter handwashing. Cleanliness and hygiene was the most frequently requested improvement. In the exploratory hand A3 assessment, values decreased after handwashing and drying but remained above the manufacturer’s reference value in all four participants.
Conclusion: Some schoolchildren perceived shorter handwashing at school than at home, most often for social and time-related reasons. These findings suggest that social, temporal, and physical school conditions merit attention alongside individual hygiene education.
Related
- Using the Haddon matrix to improve environmental road safety factors around a school zone
- Prospective associations between perceived school climate and psychological distress among Chinese adolescents: a three-wave longitudinal study of school belonging, social avoidance, and psychological resilience
- Effects of a people care-based song-centered group music program on perceived parental care, self-esteem, peer relationships, and happiness in school-age children
- Perceived school-wide teacher-student relations and teacher job satisfaction: An affective events theory analysis of Shanghai teachers
- Cross-cultural adaptation and preliminary validation of the adolescent obesity environmental questionnaire (AOEQ) in LMICs: family, school, and peer contexts
BibTeX
@article{osawa2026shorter,
title = {{Shorter handwashing at school than at home: perceived environmental factors}},
author = {Mami Osawa and Maki Kameoka and Nobuko Nakashima},
journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.2001395},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.2001395/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Shorter handwashing at school than at home: perceived environmental factors
AU - Mami Osawa
AU - Maki Kameoka
AU - Nobuko Nakashima
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.2001395
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.2001395/full
AB - Introduction: Handwashing after toilet use is an important hygiene practice, but the school environment in which children wash their hands has received comparatively little attention. This study examined perceived differences in handwashing duration between school and home and reasons for shorter handwashing at school among schoolchildren. Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous, web-based questionnaire was administered to elementary and junior high school students in Niigata, Japan. Handwashing practices, perceived school–home differences in handwashing duration, reasons for shorter handwashing at school, and desired improvements to school toilets were assessed. Exploratory adenosine triphosphate, diphosphate, and monophosphate (A3) measurements of hands ( n = 4) and restroom surfaces were conducted as complementary assessments. Results: Among 195 participants with available data, 43 (22.1%) reported shorter handwashing at school than at home. Among 153 participants with available handwashing-duration data and a definite school–home comparison, the shorter group reported a significantly shorter duration than the not-shorter group (median [interquartile range], 15.0 s [10.0–20.0] vs. 20.0 s [10.0–30.0]; p = 0.014). Concern about other people (33.3%) and short break times (28.6%) were the most frequently reported reasons for shorter handwashing. Cleanliness and hygiene was the most frequently requested improvement. In the exploratory hand A3 assessment, values decreased after handwashing and drying but remained above the manufacturer’s reference value in all four participants. Conclusion: Some schoolchildren perceived shorter handwashing at school than at home, most often for social and time-related reasons. These findings suggest that social, temporal, and physical school conditions merit attention alongside individual hygiene education.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -