The association between handwashing practices and illness symptoms among college students living in a university dormitory

We describe handwashing practices, the association of handwashing with upper respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, and the effects of gender on handwashing practices among male (n = 215) and female (n = 243) college students. Self-reported frequency of handwashing was not associated with infectious illness symptom reporting. Only a small proportion of males (10%) and females (7%) reported "always" washing their hands before eating. Females were more likely than males to always wash their hands after urinating (69% vs 43%; P < .0001) and after a bowel movement (84% vs 78%; P = .14). Identifying new strategies to increase handwashing may help prevent infectious disease transmission in residence hall environments.