Evaluating Public Bathroom Stall Safety: Occupancy Patterns and Disease Transmission Risks during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical importance of hygiene in public spaces, particularly in frequently used areas such as public bathrooms. COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases can be transmitted through contact with shared surfaces such as those found in public bathrooms. High-touch surfaces such as door handles, flush levers and toilet paper dispensers can potentially contribute to spreading disease-inducing viruses and bacteria. The risk of contamination and subsequent disease transmission in public bathrooms underscores the need for stringent hygiene practices. One strategy to mitigate this risk at an individual level is to use the least used bathroom stall, with less human traffic and potentially fewer pathogens. This study looked at occupancy rates of bathroom stalls in a public facility. Observation of stall occupancy was recorded at separate times. Only times when at least 1 stall was occupied were recorded. There were three stalls in a row. Stall 1 was located at one end, with one partition of this stall against a wall and the other partition was shared with the middle stall. Stall 2, the middle stall, shared a partition with Stall 1 and 3. Stall 3 shared a partition with Stall 2 and the other partition was adjacent to an open common area in the restroom. There was a total of 37 observations. Stall 1 was occupied 62% of the time, Stall 2 occupied 30% of the time and Stall 3 occupied 32% of the time. Stall 1, Stall 2 and Stall 3 accounted for 50%, 24% and 26% of overall occupancy. Stall 1 was significantly more likely to be occupied than Stall 2 or 3 (62% vs 30%, p = 0.0051 and 62% vs 32%, p = 0.0104). Stall 2 had the lowest occupancy, but statistically equally likely as Stall 3 to be occupied (30% vs 32%, p = 0.802). In conclusion, in a bank of 3 stalls, the least used one was the middle one and the most used was the end one with an adjoining wall. Higher occupancy rates mean greater usage and potentially greater chances of disease transmission. The stall with the greatest privacy was used the most.