Mirror signage could improve pandemic hygiene practices

The results of a Curtin University study provide a timely reminder of another crucial measure for controlling the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases – hand hygiene – and should inform workplace health strategies.

In a paper recently published in the journal Psychology and Health, Curtin says it found from a survey of hundreds of Australians that most "only occasionally" wash their hands properly, despite hand hygiene being one of the key health recommendations for the ongoing pandemic.

Lead researcher Professor Barbara Mullan, from the Western Australian university's School of Population Health, said the results were surprising, given the public education efforts around the issue, and future research should design and test stronger visual cues.

"It might seem obvious but the environmental cue of soap being kept beside the sink may trigger an individual to actually use it, even when their motivation to do so was low," Mullan said.

"A person may be washing their hands in a public bathroom with no intention of using soap, but when they look at the mirror and see a sign that encourages them to use the soap, they are more likely to use the soap. This acts as a cue to assist the individual in executing the behaviour," she said.

Another possible tactic to increase hand hygiene is the use of advertising focusing on people's close networks, Mullan said.

"People may not care about the effects of poor hand hygiene on themselves, but stronger messaging around protecting the people close and vulnerable to you such as older or pregnant people, may be more beneficial in motivating a person to wash their own hands," she said.

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