Thursday April 5 4:15 PM ET
Study: Bathrooms Comfort Some, Isolate Others 

By Mark Wilkinson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The average American spends about an hour in the
bathroom every day, or two weeks a year, and although much of that time is
spent reading, thinking and often a little more, it is not all pleasure
for everybody, according to a recent survey.

The National Association for Continence (NAFC), a group that studies the
bathroom habits of the American people, found in its survey that the
bathroom has in many cases become a haven where many find comfort and
relief from life's stresses.

In other cases, especially where the frequent use of a bathroom is caused
by an overactive bladder, the bathroom can on the other hand be synonymous
with isolation and shame.

The survey was conducted by Yankelovich Partners on behalf of the NAFC and
randomly polled 1,001 Americans in shopping malls nationwide.

About half of the respondents said they read or pondered serious issues in
the bathroom, while a third admitted to simply daydreaming, singing in the
shower or even talking on the phone.

One third of women said they talked to themselves or admired themselves in
the bathroom and 22 percent of men said they had made love there.

Scouting Out For Bathrooms

The NAFC, however, said bathrooms are not spiritual sanctuaries for all
Americans.

``Toilet mapping'', or the scouting out of bathrooms in unfamiliar
locations in case of an unexpected call from nature, is not an uncommon
behavior. It can, however, underpin something more serious.

According to the study, almost two-thirds of respondents said they scouted
bathrooms at amusement parks or cinemas and those older than 50 were more
likely to do so.

But the NAFC said in some cases this may be due to overactive bladder, a
condition that affects 17 million Americans, the NAFC reported.

``Altering daily activities to accommodate immediate access to a bathroom
is a behavior often consistent with symptoms of overactive bladder,'' said
Jenelle Foote, assistant professor of Urology at the Emory University
School of Medicine.

Overactive bladder involves frequent urges to urinate, a degree of urgency
and in some cases incontinence-- symptoms almost half of the respondents
aged 60 to 70 said they experienced.

The condition is treatable with drug therapy and bladder training, which
dramatically enhances the quality of life of eighty percent of those who
seek treatment, according to the study. 

Copyright 2001 Yahoo! Inc., and Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.