Women Surpass Men in Self-care and Sickness Prevention

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis., /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Healthy Hand Washing Survey, when it comes to seasonal sickness, women are significantly more likely to practice self-care and prevention than men. In general, women try to fend off viruses and germs by stepping up their hand hygiene, staying home when they're sick, getting more sleep and cleaning their environment.

The findings are part of an annual survey conducted by Bradley Corporation that queried 1,264 women and men throughout the United States.

Germ Avoidance
When each gender was asked how they avoid getting or passing germs on to others, it's women who are more likely to take action. 64% of women stay home when they're sick compared to just 46% of men who sit tight. And, 61% of women wash their hands more frequently to get rid of germs and viruses compared to 48% of men who do the same. 57% of women make a conscious effort to sneeze into the crook of their elbow (compared to 40% of men) and 35% of women avoid shaking hands with others (compared to 28% of men).

"Over the years, the survey results have indicated the majority of men aren't practicing self-care in ways that could keep them from getting sick," says Jon Dommisse, director of strategy and corporate development for Bradley Corp. "This year's data again finds women surpassing men in taking proactive steps to prevent illness. There's clearly plenty of room for improvement for men to take germ avoidance seriously."

An Ounce of Prevention
Women also take conscious steps to reduce their chances of catching a cold or getting the flu. 54% of women drink more fluids, 45% avoid touching their face, nose or mouth and 38% get more shut eye. On the flip side, fewer men take preventative measures. Less than half (48%) drink more fluids, 35% avoid touching their face, nose or mouth and 30% get more sleep.

Disinfecting Diligence
On the home front, it's women who clean surfaces in response to sickness or a virus that's going around. 61% of women disinfect bathroom countertops and other areas compared to 42% of men who say they'd break out the cleaning supplies. In the kitchen, 57% of women perform a wipe down compared to just 37% of men. And the cleaning list goes on to washing sheets and towels and wiping down door knobs, light switches and TV remotes.

Sickness Self-care
Women and men also behave differently when they're sick. 65% of women take over-the-counter medication (compared to 57% of men) and 47% of women visit the doctor (compared to 40% of men). Men do outpace women in one action – avoidance. 23% of men ignore their illness and hope it goes away compared to 15% of women who follow the head-in-the-sand approach.

10 Years of Hand Washing Insights
Since 2009, the majority of both men and women have agreed that sudsing up is a must after using a public restroom. However, the Healthy Hand Washing Survey has consistently found that men are more likely to skip the soap and simply rinse their hands after using a public restroom. In addition, men frequently report seeing others leave the restroom without washing their hands.

Surprisingly, it's men who seem to respond to posted hand washing reminders more than women. In 2017 when the question was first posed, 44% of men said they were more likely to wash their hands after seeing a sign that requires employees to wash before returning to work compared to 34% of women.

"For the past 10 years, women have outperformed men in all aspects of hand hygiene – from how frequently they wash up to how much time they spend scrubbing," says Dommisse. "For everyone, hand washing is a simple yet effective way to keep healthy. Plus, it takes just 20 seconds to remove germs and viruses from your hands."

The 10^th annual Healthy Hand Washing Survey by Bradley Corp. queried 1,264 American adults online Jan. 3-9, 2019, about their hand washing habits in public restrooms and concerns about germs, colds and the flu. Participants were from around the country, were 18 years and older, and were fairly evenly split between men and women (49 and 51 percent).

Bradley is a leading manufacturer of commercial plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, restroom partitions, emergency fixtures and solid plastic lockers.

For more information, visit www.bradleycorp.com/handwashing.

For over 95 years, Bradley has created the most complete and advanced commercial washrooms and comprehensive solutions that make industrial environments safe. Bradley is the industry's leading source for multi-function hand washing and drying fixtures, accessories, partitions, solid plastic lockers, as well as emergency safety fixtures and electric tankless heaters for industrial applications. Headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wis., USA, Bradley serves commercial, institutional and industrial building markets worldwide. For more information visit https://www.bradleycorp.com.

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SOURCE Bradley Corporation