by Brianna Crandall — October 15, 2012—With cold and flu season about to begin, students may have more to contend with than just homework, and custodial staff may bear the brunt of it. Schools can be breeding grounds for germs that can lead to illness and significant absenteeism: 189 million school days lost to the common cold and nearly 38 million to influenza each year, cites Kimberly-Clark Professional. However, data from a new study conducted by the company shows that students who practice proper hand and surface hygiene in the classroom can effectively reduce the risk of germ transmission.
The study tested surface contamination on some of the most frequently touched objects in six elementary schools. Hygienists first performed Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) testing to determine baseline contamination levels. Participating schools then implemented Super Germ Fighters, a customized educational program for kindergarten through fifth grade, and The Healthy Classroom Station, which provides kid-friendly products—like hand sanitizers, alcohol and bleach-free surface wipes, and anti-viral facial tissue—to teach students how to “wash, wipe and sanitize” to help reduce the spread of germs.
The study found that, when students were provided with the tools and knowledge necessary to break the chain of germ transmission in the classroom, contamination levels were significantly reduced throughout the entire school. After the program had been in place for seven months, contamination levels were reduced on average by 76% on bathroom stall door locks, 71% on desks, 53% on door handles, 45% on cafeteria tables, 41% on computer mice, and 34% on water fountain buttons.
According to Kimberly-Clark Professional, one of the most significant reductions in contamination was on classroom desks—surfaces that the students were personally responsible for wiping down on a daily basis. In some cases, ATP levels fell from as high as 838 to as low as 243. An ATP reading of 300 or more is considered to pose a high risk for illness transmission.
“The study results demonstrate that providing young students with age-appropriate educational materials and products designed to instill good hygiene habits can have a profound effect on behaviors, which in turn can reduce germs inside and outside the classroom,” said Richard Marriott, Education Target Market Leader, Kimberly-Clark Professional. “These results are even more significant when you consider the impact that illnesses can have on students, parents and teachers.”
Also notable was the drop in contamination levels outside the classroom, especially on the bathroom stall door locks. While the children were only exposed to the products and the germ reduction curriculum inside the classroom, in one school, the locks’ ATP levels, which began at a high of 974, dropped to 230, demonstrating that the students made a conscious effort to change their hand hygiene habits in areas outside of their classrooms as well.
Six Southeastern K-5 schools participated in the study, including four public and two private schools. Over a seven-month period, the hygienists collected nearly 7,500 individual swabs at two-week intervals from the participating schools, which included a total of 3,700 students, 500 teachers and staff, and 300 classrooms. The Healthy Schools Project does include age-appropriate materials for college students as well, and parents and other adult workers who hear about the program are likely to hope the company develops a similarly effective tool for the workplace.
