Poor sanitation presents a public health problem in underdeveloped parts of the world, where it is common practice to relieve oneself without utilizing a latrine. This practice contributes to disease and mortality in these areas, but it has not been clear how to increase sanitation coverage.

To investigate the effects of alternative strategies to increase the use of latrines, researchers from Yale University and the University of Maryland examined the effects of different latrine-marketing strategies in rural Bangladesh communities.