Real-time daily assessment of work interference on healthcare professionals' restroom use: A pilot study

Certain occupations may predispose individuals to develop lower urinary tract symptoms presumably through the adoption of unhealthy toileting behaviors. This study aimed to pilot the feasibility of recording healthcare workers' perceptions of daily, work-related interference with toilet use using a cellular, text-based survey tool.

A cohort study of adult healthcare professionals completed a baseline questionnaire, a daily survey for fourteen consecutive days regarding their restroom use for the current workday, and a posttest survey providing feedback on study design and participation. Contributors to daily toilet use were analyzed in a linear mixed effects model that allowed for modeling effects within a given day. A backward stepwise regression was performed to assess for the presence of the effect of toilet use among control variables.

Increased work burden (i.e., increased inconvenience for using the restroom at work) was provisionally found to be associated with fewer voids per day. The number of voids at work was also associated with the number of breaks, urinary urgency, and limiting fluids. Subjects reported that participation in the study was easy, did not interfere with work, and that they would be willing to participate again in a similar study.

The utilization of a daily text message survey is a feasible way to study healthcare workers and their toileting behaviors at work. A larger similarly designed study could potentially confirm that limitations to restroom use may result in toileting behaviors that could predispose healthcare workers to develop bothersome urinary symptoms. Further investigation is warranted.