Why These Eight Scientific Studies Matter!
Public health isn’t just about hospitals or policy — it’s about the everyday spaces we all share. From the faucet in your kitchen to the restroom down the street, hidden risks shape how disease spreads and how dignity is preserved.
The eight studies below reveal surprising truths about hygiene, design, and access. They show how simple habits like handwashing protect families, how restroom programs transform city streets, and how infrastructure gaps — whether in San Diego, Los Angeles, or Mozambique — can turn daily life into a health risk.
Together, these findings make one thing clear: no human should suffer from a restroom’s fate. By understanding the science, we see how small changes in design, maintenance, and behavior can protect entire communities.
1. Handwashing Facts & Everyday Risks (CDC, 2024)
-
Summary: Proper handwashing reduces diarrheal illness by up to 40% and respiratory infections by 20%. Simple habits like washing with soap for 20 seconds protect families and communities.
-
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives — Facts and Statistics. CDC, 2024.
2. Global Health Matters Podcast (WHO, 2024)
-
Summary: WHO’s Global Health Matters podcast episode “Don’t Wash Away Hygiene for Health” highlights how investing in hygiene saves 1.4 million lives annually. It shares global case studies and advocacy for everyday hygiene practices.
-
Citation: World Health Organization (WHO). Global Health Matters Podcast: Don’t Wash Away Hygiene for Health. WHO, 2024.
3. Sanitation Justice & Public Restroom Access (San Diego, CA)
-
Summary: Researchers mapped restroom locations and found major gaps in availability and quality. Restroom scarcity directly impacts dignity and health in everyday urban life.
-
Citation: Bliss S, et al. Sanitation justice: public restroom access and equity in San Diego, California. PLOS ONE, 2023.
4. Public Restroom Interventions & Open Defecation (San Francisco, CA)
-
Summary: The city’s “Pit Stop” program added staffed public toilets in key neighborhoods. Reports of feces on streets dropped sharply, proving restroom access reduces contamination and improves urban health.
-
Citation: Beattie T, et al. Impact of San Francisco’s Pit Stop program on reports of feces in public spaces. BMC Public Health, 2022.
5. Promoting Safe Hygiene Practices in Public Restrooms (U.S.)
-
Summary: A pilot study tested hygiene posters in public restrooms and found they reduced unsafe disposal of toilet tissue. Simple visual cues helped change behavior and protect community health.
-
Citation: Dreibelbis R, et al. Promoting safe hygiene practices in public restrooms: pilot intervention study. Journal of Environmental Health, 2016.
6. Bacterial Contamination in Public Restrooms (U.S.)
-
Summary: A comparative study found high levels of pathogenic bacteria on surfaces like flush handles and countertops. Public toilets can act as reservoirs for norovirus, underscoring the importance of design and maintenance.
-
Citation: Gerba CP, Boone SA, McKinney J, Ijaz MK. Bacterial Contamination of Public and Household Restrooms, and Implications for the Potential Risk of Norovirus Transmission. Hygiene, 2025.
7. WaSH Insecurity in Unhoused Communities (Los Angeles)
-
Summary: Research on 263 unhoused individuals found that a lack of 24‑hour restroom access led to unsafe coping strategies like bucket use and open defecation. These gaps increased exposure to preventable diseases and highlighted urban inequities.
-
Citation: Avelar Portillo LJ, Kayser GL, Ko C, et al. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) insecurity in unhoused communities of Los Angeles, California. International Journal for Equity in Health, 2023.
8. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Insecurity During COVID‑19 (Mozambique)
-
Citation: Kann RS, Snyder JS, Victor C, et al. Water, sanitation, and hygiene insecurity and disease prevention behaviors during the COVID‑19 pandemic in low‑income neighborhoods of Beira, Mozambique. PLOS ONE, 2024.
"Restrooms are Armor.
We fight for dignity in infrastructure.
Hygiene is resilience."
Bruce Bonnett