Who washes hands after using the bathroom?

Handwashing is one of the most important control measures for preventing the spread of bacteria. Although young children are taught the procedure through different types of behavior modification, its effect has not been measured in older children. We have documentation that adults and health care workers have a compliance rate of only 50% with this basic control measure. This article reports on the compliance rate, duration, and handwashing techniques used by middle and high school students after using the bathroom.