Fist-bumping: A healthier way of greeting

A new study has revealed that "fist-bumping" is a healthier way of greeting as this transmits fewer bacteria as compared to either handshaking or high-fiving.

In this study from Aberystwyth University in the United Kingdom, researchers found that a longer duration of contact and stronger grips were further associated with increased bacterial transmission.

Corresponding author David Whitworth said that the adoption of the fist-bump as a greeting could substantially reduce the transmission of infectious diseases between individuals and added that, for the sake of improving public health they encourage further adoption of the fist bump as a simple, free, and more hygienic alternative to the handshake.

This study expands on the recent call to ban handshakes from the hospital environment as healthcare providers' hands could spread potentially harmful germs to patients, leading to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

This research is published in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.