Public health messages that invoke disgust work best for men, study finds

doi:10.1136/bmj.b4277

From trainee to consultant, BMJ Group offers doctors around the world tailored information, special events, learning resources and recruitment services at every step along their career path.

... by doctors, for doctors, for patients
We are open for entries!

Online learning

BMJ Learning

High-quality CME / CPD for doctors and other healthcare professionals. BMJ Learning features hundreds of accredited, peer-reviewed learning modules in text, video, and audio formats. Find out more

Courses and Qualifications

BMJ Masterclasses

BMJ Masterclasses, led by experts, help clinicians to use the latest evidence and recent guidelines in practice and meet their CPD/CME requirements. Find out more

Exam Preparation

The leading provider of online exam preparation, helping over 167,000 healthcare professionals to pass their exams. Find out more

onExamination

Search all BMJ news articles:

From

The BMJ iPad app brings you the best of print and online, including live links to the latest news, blogs, video, and podcasts. Get the BMJ iPad app.
Countdown to London 2012: BMJ Group's Olympics portal highlights latest Olympics and sports medicine-themed research, comment and learning
Keep up to date with cardiology: Access the latest cardiovascular medicine resources from across BMJ Group.
Our online table of contents is updated at least twice each day. Read all articles published in the last 7 days.
OPEN ACCESS: All research articles are freely available online, with no word limit. Find out more about the BMJ's open access policy. Submit your paper.

Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment. Please log in or subscribe below.

Zosia Kmietowicz

¹London

When it comes to communicating the dangers of faeces men are most likely to take notice of messages that invoke disgust, but women respond best to notices that impart knowledge, a study has found (American Journal of Public Health 2009;99(suppl):S405-11, doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.164160).

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London tested the impact of different messages on handwashing with soap that were flashed on to screens at the entrance to toilets at UK service station. Sensors were used to monitor the use of soap by 200 000 people who used the facilities.

Several messages were tested, ranging from “Water doesn’t kill germs, soap does” …