U.S.
Navy recruits who were ordered to wash their hands at least
five times a day saw a decrease in respiratory illnesses of
45% from the year before, according to a study conducted by
the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC).
Respiratory illness is a common cause of lost time from work
in the U.S. and "the most common cause of lost time from duty
among young adults in the military," the report indicates.
In the
study, Operation Stop Cough was implemented at the Great
Lakes Recruit Training Command in Illinois, beginning in
September 1996. During the study, about 40,000 recruits were
instructed by their commanding officer to wash their hands
five times each day. Soap dispensers were installed and
recruits were lectured monthly on the importance of
handwashing.
Despite the program's success, almost half reported that they
did not mhave time to wash five times a day due to their busy
training schedules.
"In
most offices, people are not inclined to wash their hands
even before eating," Dr. Joel C. Gaydos of the Walter Reed
Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, Maryland, writes
in an accompanying editorial. "Re-emphasizing handwashing in
our daily lives may provide significant benefits with little
effort or cost, especially during the respiratory disease
season," he notes.
ITMR
Note: For the last 1,400 years, Muslims have been washing
their hands five times a day prior to performing their
prayers.