Good hygiene practices have lead to low levels of colds and diarrhoea, according to the latest international Dettol HABIT Study (Hygiene: Attitudes, Behaviour, Insight and Traits).

The study, was conducted from January to March 2011 by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in partnership with the Hygiene Council.

In India unlike other 12 participating countries, gender had no bearing on personal and household hygiene. Households with children and elderly people in the family have better hygiene and are healthier. It is estimated that the odds of reporting good household hygiene are 1.7 times higher among tidy people.

These results increase awareness of the key factors that influence different hygiene behaviours and highlight the importance of good hygiene like effective hand washing and household cleaning along with good manners like covering the mouth when sneezing or coughing to help break the infection chain.

According to Chander Mohan Sethi, regional director – South Asia, chairman and managing director Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd “Dettol is considered as the gold standard in germ protection and being a leader in the hygiene and health care. This year, the study clearly indicates that social norms are associated with preference for anti-germ soap and education has turned out to be the strongest determinant of healthy soap usage in India. The odds of using anti-germ soap are three times higher among more educated people. The outcome has definitely given us an impetus to continue Dettol’s for  better health and hygiene.

Professor John Oxford, chairman of the Hygiene Council and Professor of Virology at Barts and The London School of Dentistry, stated, “Understanding what drives hygiene behaviour is very valuable. We want people to recognize where they may be falling down and take action to make hygiene a habit.”

The study also showed that tidy/orderly individuals are more hygienic than messy/chaotic people. Women and older people tend to be more hygienic than men and younger people. Home makers display the highest levels of personal and household hygiene whilst students and office workers display the worst. Levels of personal and household hygiene were highest for those aware of germs threat.

The study also revealed that hygiene is an indispensable part of social norms.  These behaviour patterns get passed on from one generation to another and have a positive association with good health. The odds of reporting good infectious health are three times higher among those with good manners, said Dr Narendra Saini, India representative, Global Hygiene Council.

Previous studies indicated that intensive hygiene education with the regular use of disinfectants could significantly reduce the risk of illness among children.