Awareness of “Cough Etiquette” Among The Japanese Public Based on an Internet Survey

Abstract

  “Cough etiquette” is important for preventing the spread of influenza and other diseases through droplet infection. Infection can be more effectively prevented if “cough etiquette” is practiced not only at hospitals, but also at regional facilities and by the general public. This study assessed the actual awareness of “cough etiquette” among the Japanese public to obtain hints for future educational activities. Members of the general public were surveyed using the Internet twice, in February 2009 and March 2010. A total of 400 individuals were investigated in each survey, and subjects were selected by stratified sampling based on area of residence, age, and sex. Survey items included awareness of the term “cough etiquette”, practice of “cough etiquette”, and reason for wearing masks. The percentage of subjects who replied “Yes” to the question “Have you heard of the term “cough etiquette”?” was 31.0% (n=124) in the first survey and 47.8% (n=191) in the second survey. The only factors that were significantly more common among subjects who had heard of “cough etiquette” compared to those who had not were the action of “covering the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing” in the first and the second surveys, and the response of “the presence of symptoms such as coughing or sneezing” as the most appropriate reason for wearing masks in the second survey. These results suggest that only having heard of the term “cough etiquette” does not lead to the correct behavior. Therefore, educational activities should be increased in the future through the use of media such as television and displays at hospitals.