By Joseph Staples // SWNS
NEWS COPY W/ VIDEO + INFOGRAPHIC
Do you have bathroom anxiety? According to a new study, half of all Americans do, and a large majority put off going to the bathroom because of it.
The poll of 2,000 U.S. adults found 92% have had to hold off on going to the bathroom so they don’t miss out on something exciting or important, and 51% have “pee-xiety” — anxiety that strikes when people feel stuck in a situation that keeps them away from the bathroom for a long period of time.
A quarter (24%) said they frequently hold off from going to the bathroom so they don’t miss out on what they see as an exciting or important event.
Thirty-five percent said they’ve missed important life moments because they needed to rush off to the bathroom. Some respondents recalled missing their child’s first steps, an epic concert finale and once-in-a-lifetime photo ops.
And a third have missed out on major sports moments because they were in the bathroom, including a winning Big Game play, World Series grand slams, NBA Final 3-pointers and even their own kid’s pee wee game wins.
Commissioned by Angel Soft Toilet Paper and conducted by Talker Research, the study found the worst times to need a bathroom break are while stuck in traffic (40%), during long car rides (34%), while waiting in line (34%), during intimate moments (28%) or in the middle of a movie (24%).
One in five even said they feel FOMO when they need to use the bathroom during a can’t-miss moment.
Nearly two in three (61%) will rush themselves to make sure they don’t miss important moments, and 47% admit they’ve been late to events because of the bathroom.
Most (64%) said they tend to strategize the “best” times to go to the bathroom before important events. But if there was ever a way to predict the best times to go to the bathroom during live events, 66% said they’d be interested to see the prediction.
And as for “pee-xiety”: the study predicts it’s likely to strike during the Big Game this year, as 76% of the population will potentially tune in.
“We know nature can call at the worst times, and one of the toughest moments is during the Big Game,” said Rafael Garcia, VP, General Manager, Angel Soft Toilet Paper. “It’s that one time each year where every moment is unmissable from the gameplay to the halftime show and the ads, which feels like you’re almost guaranteed to miss out if you take bathroom break.”
Research found many aren’t willing to risk missing a moment of the Big Game this year. In fact, the study revealed what people claim to be the best and worst times to go during the game on Feb. 9.
According to them, the best times to “go” are: right before or during the halftime show (27%), during kickoff (19%), during the first quarter ad breaks (19%) or during the second quarter ad breaks (15%).
Meanwhile, respondents say the worst times to go are during the final two minutes of the game (33%), during kickoff (25%), during the halftime show (25%), during any overtime (23%) or during the fourth quarter of the game (14%).
Over half (54%) said they’d force someone else to catch them up on what they missed if they had to rush to the bathroom during the game. And another 48% won’t take any chances — they’ll watch the game on their phone while using the bathroom.
Research also found 86% of Americans have had “close calls” — nearly losing control of their bladders — because they needed to go to the bathroom. In the past year alone, the average person has had five close calls.
“We can’t always predict the future and tell when we need to go, but we can certainly plan ahead for it,” continued Garcia. “People deserve of have a chunk of time dedicated to bathroom breaks — especially during important events and moments.”
WHAT MAJOR SPORTS MOMENTS HAVE PEOPLE MISSED WHILE IN THE BATHROOM?
- “Bernie Kosar broke a record for most passes completed at the Cleveland stadium and I was waiting in a long line to pee.”
- “I missed Malcolm Butler's game saving interception at the goal line in Super Bowl XLIX.”
- “LeBron’s block on the Warriors 2016 NBA Finals.”
- “Joe Carter's winning home run in the 1992 World Series that won it for the Blue Jays.”
- “Cornerback Ty Law’s interception during the Super Bowl.”
- “In 2015, when Derrick Henry scored the last touchdown for Alabama against Auburn. I had to pee and I missed the play.”
- “In 2006 at a bar, when the Tigers were getting ready to go into the ninth inning. I missed Magglio Ordonez’s home run to put them in the World Series.”
- “NBA Detroit Pistons’ Rasheed Wallace hit a 3-pointer to send them to overtime.”
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans; the survey was commissioned by the makers of Angel Soft Toilet Paper and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Dec. 23 and Dec. 30, 2024.
We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
- Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
- Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in
Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.
Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.
Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.
Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
- Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
- Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
- Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
- Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.
