Abstract

• PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the relationship between health status and bathing. METHOD: The population of this study consisted of females, above age 20 in urban areas in order to control the effects of extraneous variables, resident areas, gender, and age. Four hundred and twenty-eight (428) women were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF)-36 Health Survey assessed individual health status. Bathing behavior and attitudes toward bath have been measured with questionnaires designed by the authors. RESULT: The most popular bathing type was shower (46.8%). The preferred type of bath was related to health status. A common purpose of the tub-bath was relieving fatigue and hygiene, but the other purposes were different on the subjects health status. Persons with low health status took frequently tub-baths for health. Attitudes toward bath were related to health status. Women with low scores in physical health recognized more physical effects of bath than psychological effects or hygenic effects. CONCLUSION: Bathing included physical and psychological dimensions and was related to health status.
• Keywords: Bathing; Attitudes toward bath; Health status; Health behavior

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