Male commuters in north and south England: risk factors for the presence of faecal bacteria on hands
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A previous study found that the prevalence of contamination with bacteria of faecal-origin on the hands of men differed across UK cities, with a general trend of increased contamination in northern cities. The aim of this study was t...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Book |
| Published: |
BMC,
2011-01-01T00:00:00Z.
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to this object online. |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A previous study found that the prevalence of contamination with bacteria of faecal-origin on the hands of men differed across UK cities, with a general trend of increased contamination in northern cities. The aim of this study was to (1) confirm the north-south trend (2) identify causes for the trend.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Hand swabs from commuters (n = 308) at train stations in 4 cities were tested for the presence of faecal bacteria.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of hand contamination with faecal bacteria was again higher in cities in the north compared to the south (5% in London, 4% in Birmingham, 10% in Liverpool and 19% in Newcastle). Contamination risk decreased with age and better personal hygiene (self-reported). Soil contact and shaking hands increased contamination with faecal bacteria. However, in multivariable analysis, none of these factors fully explained the variation in contamination across cities.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The study confirmed the north-south differences in faecal contamination of hands without finding a clear cause for the trend. Faecal contamination of hands was associated with personal hygiene indicators suggesting that microbiological testing may contribute to evaluating hygiene promotion campaigns.</p> |
|---|---|
| Item Description: | 10.1186/1471-2458-11-31 1471-2458 |