Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Hygiene Council Global Survey on Personal and Household Hygiene, 2011 is the first study to highlight the role of manners, orderliness and routine on hygiene behaviours. A global survey on the determinants of personal and household hygiene, with particular reference to hand-washing with soap and cleaning of household surfaces, was conducted in 1000 households in each of twelve countries across the world. A structural equation model of hygiene behaviour and its consequences derived from theory was then estimated for both behaviours. The analysis showed that the frequency of hand washing with soap is strongly tied to how automatically it is performed. Whether or not someone is busy, or tired, can also impact on whether they stop to wash hands. Surface cleaning was strongly linked to possessing a cleaning routine, so, like hand washing, it is primarily determined by non-cognitive causes. It is also inspired by the perception that one is living in a dirty environment, especially if one has a strong sense of contamination, as well as a need to keep one’s surroundings tidy. Being concerned with good manners is also linked to the performance of these behaviours. Those who see others around them as practicing surface cleaning are also more likely to do so themselves.

Main Topics:

Global determinants of personal and household hygiene behaviour.

Multi-stage stratified random sample

At least one country was chosen to represent each of the seven continents (UK, USA, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, South Africa, Malaysia, Brazil, Middle East) with the additional of two of the most populated countries in the world (China and India). Within-country, samples were based on standard representative splits of gender, age, household income and geographical region.

Face-to-face interview

Telephone interview

Web-based survey