Measurement of face-touching frequency in a simulated train

Abstract

Contact behavior in a public space influences the risk of contact infection because public spaces have many environmental surfaces contaminated with pathogens. It is useful for risk reduction to examine the factor of infection risk among behaviors. In the present study, a video monitoring survey was conducted in a simulated cabin of a commuter train, we had built, to investigate the relationship between face-touching frequencies and individual attributes. As a result, the average face-touching frequency was 17.8 times per hour. Of all face touches, mucosal contact was 42.2%. Focusing on the sex, the face-touching frequency was significantly higher for the males than for the females. Focusing on the skin condition, the face-touching frequency of those who did not wear makeup was significantly higher than that of those who did. The significant sex differences may depend on the makeup. Focusing on pollution awareness, higher pollution awareness related to lower frequency. Thus, by improving pollution awareness of the environmental surfaces in public spaces, it is possible to reduce effectively face-touching frequency and, hence, infection risk.