Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of survey respondents* (n = 502) and knowledge of cleaning and disinfection safety precautions, United States, May 2020
| Characteristic | N (weighted %†) | Knowledge score,‡ median (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 502 (100) | 5.17 (4.85–5.50) |
| Gender | ||
| Male | 251 (48) | 4.71 (4.16–5.27) |
| Female | 251 (52) | 5.50 (5.06–5.94) |
| Age-group (years) | ||
| 18–24 | 56 (12) | 3.80 (2.57–5.02) |
| 25–34 | 102 (18) | 3.36 (2.59–4.12) |
| 35–44 | 106 (16) | 4.63 (3.62–5.63) |
| 45–54 | 66 (17) | 5.48 (4.80–6.17) |
| 55–64 | 88 (17) | 6.10 (5.52–6.68) |
| 65+ | 84 (21) | 5.85 (5.11–6.59) |
| Race/ethnicity | ||
| White non-Hispanic | 342 (64) | 5.59 (5.24–5.94) |
| Black non-Hispanic | 51 (12) | 2.99 (1.61–4.37) |
| Other non-Hispanic | 50 (8) | 4.42 (3.29–5.54) |
| Hispanic (any race) | 59 (16) | 4.01 (2.80–5.21) |
| U.S. Census geographic region | ||
| Northeast | 93 (18) | 5.23 (4.51–5.95) |
| Midwest | 102 (21) | 5.38 (4.77–5.98) |
| South | 187 (38) | 5.10 (4.55–5.65) |
| West | 120 (24) | 5.03 (4.11–5.95) |
| Education | ||
| High school or less | 18 (5) | 4.31 (1.89–6.72) |
| High school graduate | 142 (35) | 5.31 (4.60–6.01) |
| Some college | 132 (27) | 5.36 (4.69–6.03) |
| College graduate | 210 (34) | 4.97 (4.35–5.59) |
| Urbanicity | ||
| Urban | 154 (31) | 4.28 (3.54–5.01) |
| Suburban | 253 (49) | 5.35 (4.91–5.79) |
| Rural | 95 (20) | 5.79 (4.78–6.80) |
Respondents were surveyed through the “PN View: 360” opt-in Internet panel survey administered from May 5 to 7, 2020.
Percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding. Data were weighted by gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, and education to reflect the composition of the U.S. population using the Current Population Survey proportions.
The highest possible score was nine. The knowledge score was calculated by assigning a score of one to each of the following checked responses and zero to each unchecked response: 1) “For some household cleaning products, gloves should be used during use”; 2) “For some household cleaning products, eye protection should be used during use”; 3) “Bleach should not be mixed with ammonia”; 4) “Bleach should not be mixed with vinegar”; 5) “When making a dilute bleach solution, only room temperature water should be used”; 6) “Hands should be washed with soap and water after using household cleaning products”; 7) “Hand sanitizers should be kept out of reach of children”; 8) “Household cleaning products should be kept out of reach of children”; and 9) “Good ventilation (air flow) is needed when using cleaning chemicals.”