A Survey on the Hand Washing Awareness and Behavior in Elementary Schools Serving Food in a Classroom in Busan

The principal objective of this study was to evaluate elementary students' awareness of the importance of hand washing, as well as their hand-washing behavior. The data was collected by self-reported questionnaire from 697 students in elementary schools with serving food in a classroom in Busan. Their hand-washing frequency was high, at '3~4 times per day (37.0%)'. 51.0% of the respondents did not wash their hands that often because they were 'not accustomed' to washing their hands, and 35.9% of respondents regarded washing their hands as 'annoying'. The most frequently reported hand washing agent was 'soap and water (71.4%)'. Approximately 95~98% of the respondents always washed their hands after using the bathroom, 87.9% of them washed their hands before eating food, and 86.7% of them washed their hands upon returning home. However, 27.3%, 34.1% and 65.9% of the respondents did not wash their hands after handling money, after eating, and after coughing or sneezing, respectively. Significant factors related to increased hand-washing frequency were gender (p