Sanitary Bathroom

Habits: Men & Women

Background:

• Single most effective behavior to reduce spread of infectious diseases

• In United States: infectious diseases =

leading cause of death

• Sampled the hands of commuters using public transportation:

• ¼ of people had FECAL matter

on hands

Hand Washing with Soap:

Recent Study:

Background: Studies on Hand Washing Behavior:

65% WOMEN, 33% MEN

74% WOMEN, 61% MEN

75% WOMEN, 58% MEN

85% WOMEN, 69% MEN

Wireless sensors measuring for 32 days:

1996 Observational study:

2000 Observational, 5 cities in U.S:

2004: Observation on college campus:

Background:

• Of those that washed their hands, only

used soap

• Only of hand washers washed hands for

longer than 15 seconds

• of those who washed hands washed for

1-6 seconds

64%

10%

69%

More about the 2004 College Study:

410 Students Observed

97% Women 95% Men washed hands

Background:

• 95% of respondents reported hand washing in public restrooms

• Hand washing = socially desirable

(over-reported in surveys)

Study conducted during SARS outbreak:

Survey on Hand Washing:

Data Collection: Observational Study: In Public Restrooms

132 MEN 121 WOMEN

• Observed:

• Locations:Briarwood mall:

Ann Arbor, MIRiverTown Crossings mall:

Grandville, MI

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int’l Airport: Atlanta, GA

Quality 16 movie theater: Ann Arbor, MI

Total time spent in bathroom

• Recorded: If hands were washed(with or without soap)

Time spent washing hands

• Variables:

1. = whether or not subject washed hands (with or without soap)

2. = seconds spent washing hands (contact with soap or water)

3. = total time in minutes spent in the actual restroom• Research Questions:

1. Do more females wash their hands in a public restroom than males?

2. Do females wash their hands for a longer period of time than males in public restrooms?

3. Do females spend more time in the public bathrooms than males?

WASH HANDS

TIME WASH

TOTAL TIME

Power Analysis:

TEST 1: TEST 2: TEST 3:

POWER: 80% SIGNIFICANCE: 0.05 HYPOTHESES: 1-Sided

(compare proportions)

• Parameter: 15% diff.

• NEED: 134 each gender

• SAMPLE: 121 Females 132 Males

(compare means)

• Parameter: 2 sec. diff

• NEED: 20 each gender

• SAMPLE: 29 Females 38 Males

(compare means)

• Parameter: 0.5 min. diff

• NEED: 20 each gender

• SAMPLE: 27 Females 42 Males

Relationship 1: Question:Is there a higher proportion of females who

wash their hands after using a public restroom than males?

Null Hypothesis:The same proportion of males and

females wash their hands after using public restrooms

Alternative Hypothesis:

A higher proportion of females than males wash their hands after using public

restroomsVariables Compared:

Gender and Handwashing (both categorical)

Collection 1

RowSummary

Column Summary

Washed

Yes

Washed

No

Female

Male

Gender

64.95868

11595.0413

6246.9697

7053.0303

6826.8775

18573.1225

121100

132100

253100

S1 = countS2 = row Proportion •

Cross Tabulation: Compare Proportions

At Least Five of Each Response Variable: Yes

Proportion Wash: Female

Proportion Wash: Male

95.04% 53.03%Sample Size Female: 121 Sample Size Male: 132

In our sample, FEMALES washed hands more often than males.

Traditional Test P-value:

<0.0001 < .05

Conclusion Relationship 1: 1. P-Value 0.003 is less than

significance level of 0.05 REJECT NULL HYPOTHESIS

***it is unlikely that the difference in proportions observed occurred by chance!!!2. Evidence supports the alternative hypothesis:

***in this sample, the proportion of females who wash their hands after using a public restroom is greater than the proportion of males

3. Within the population of Americans, adult females did indeed wash their hands more often than males after using a public restroom.

Relationship 2: Question:Do females wash their hands after using public restrooms for a longer period of

time than males?Null Hypothesis:

Females and males wash their hands the same amount of time after using public

restroomsAlternative Hypothesis:

Females wash their hands for a longer amount of time than males after using

public restrooms

Gender and Time Spent Washing (one categorical and one

quantitative)

Variables Compared:

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Female MaleGender

Collection 1 Box Plot

BOX PLOT: COMPARE MEANS

GENDER

TIME SPENT HAND-

WASHING(sec)

SKEWNESS:NONE

OUTLIERS:ONE

Mean seconds MALES: Mean seconds FEMALES:

5.4 sec 7.8 secSample Size Males: 29 Sample Size Females: 38

Traditional Test P-value:

0.0034 < 0.05

In our sample, FEMALES washed hands in restroom for2.4 seconds longer, on average

Conclusion Relationship 2: 1. P-Value 0.003 is less than significance

level of 0.05 REJECT NULL HYPOTHESIS

***it is unlikely that the difference in means observed occurred by chance!!!

2. Evidence supports the alternative hypothesis:

***in this sample, the difference in means found (females wash hands an average of 2.4 seconds longer) was significant

3.Within the population of Americans, adult females did indeed spend more seconds washing their hands after using a public restroom

Relationship 3: Question:Do females spend more time in public

restrooms than males?

Null Hypothesis:

Females and males spend the same amount of time in public restrooms

Females spend more time than males in public restrooms

Alternative Hypothesis:

Gender and Time Spent in Restroom (one categorical and one quantitative)

Variables Compared:

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Female MaleGender

Collection 1 Box Plot

OUTLIERS:ZERO

SKEWNESS:Slight in males,nothing major

BOX PLOT: COMPARE MEANS

GENDER

TIME SPENT

IN BATHROOM

(min)

In our sample, FEMALES spent 1.7 more minutes in the bathroom, on

average.

Mean minutes MALES: Mean minutes FEMALES:

1.03 min 2.73 minSample Size Males: 42 Sample Size Females: 27

Traditional Test P-value:

<0.00001 < 0.05

Conclusion Relationship 3: 1. P-Value <0.00001 is less than

significance level of 0.05 REJECT NULL HYPOTHESIS

***it is unlikely that the difference in means observed occurred by chance!!!

2. Evidence supports the alternative hypothesis:

***in this sample, the difference in means found (females spend 1.7 more minutes in public restrooms than males) was significant

3.Within the population of Americans, adult females did indeed spend more minutes public restrooms

Final Summary: Test 1:• Proportion of males & females who wash hands in public restroom• P-value < 0.001• REJECT NULL HYPOTHESIS• Females proportion: 42% higher

Test 2:• Time spent washing

hands• P-value: 0.003• REJECT NULL

HYPOTHESIS• Females: 2.4 seconds

longer, on average, in our sampleTest 3:

• Time spent in public restrooms• P-value < 0.001• REJECT NULL HYPOTHESIS• Females spend 1.7 minutes longer,on average, in our sample

Study Limitations: • Lindsay & Christine created a SOCIAL PRESSURE

during data collection (stood near the subjects as they washed hands)

• Difficult to MEASURE PRECICESLY how long subjects washed hands

• Couldn’t tell a difference between when subjects were ALONE and when they were being watched

• LOCATIONS: 3 public places in Michigan, and one place in Atlanta: NOT very representative of the whole country

Resources for Background Information: Judah, G., Schmidt, W., Michie, S., Granger, S., & Curtis, V. Experimental Pretesting of Hand-Washing Interventions in a Natural Setting. 2009. American Journal of Public healh, 99(2), 405-411.

Monk-Turner, E., Edwards, D., Broadstone, J., Hummel, R., Lewis, S., & Wilson, D. Another Look at Hand-Washing Behavior. 2005. Social Behavior and Personality, 33(7), 629-634.