 The study found that strict hygiene norms are more common among women than men globally, but this is not true in all countries. In some countries, such as Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, women are actually more likely to have laxer hygiene norms than men. This suggests that cultural norms around gender roles can influence how strictly or loosely people adhere to hygiene practices. Additionally, the study found that the size of the sex difference in hygiene norms varies depending on the level of sex equality in a given country. Countries with higher levels of sex equality had smaller sex differences in hygiene norms, while countries with lower levels of sex equality had larger sex differences. This suggests that sex inequality can lead to greater disparities in hygiene norms between men and women. This article was authored by Kimmo Erickson, Thomas E. Dickens, and Pontus Strimling.