High school students’ experiences in school toilets or restrooms.
Abstract
Previous research about school toilets is based on studies of children in elementary school. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the experiences when using the school toilets reported by students aged 16-18 years. Qualitative interviews with 21 students were conducted and analyzed using content analysis. The data revealed that the toilets were considered insecure, dirty, and unpleasant. Additionally, students refrained from drinking during school hours and remained in constant movement or jumped up and down to withhold urine and stool. This was illustrated in the following categories: assessing the toilet environment, coping with the situation, and feeling exposed Hence, there is an urgent need to improve the school toilet environment in order to respect the rights of all students to void or defecate when necessary, a process which will require involvement of students, teachers, and other school staff as well as the School Health Service.
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Social capital has facilitated sanitation access; women and girls have formed and maintained social connections when accessing sanitation locations, and sought social support to ensure privacy and safety and to protect reputations when urinating or defecating.
“Social capital has facilitated sanitation access.Women and girls have formed and maintained social connections when accessing sanitation locations, [130, 182, 189] and sought social support to ensure privacy and safety and to protect reputations when urinating or defecating [173, 182, 184, 187-190, 223, 226].”
From Water, sanitation, and women’s empowerment: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis (2022) · cites this paper as [223]
Girls in Sweden reported bullying from boys if they were known to have defecated in the school toilet.
“Relations also influenced sanitation-related school experiences; girls reported bullying from boys if they were known to have defecated in the school toilet (Sweden [223]) and if boys knew girls were menstruating because of which toilets they used (India [247]).”
From Water, sanitation, and women’s empowerment: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis (2022) · cites this paper as [223]
Relations influenced sanitation-related school experiences.
“Relations also influenced sanitation-related school experiences; girls reported bullying from boys if they were known to have defecated in the school toilet (Sweden [223]) and if boys knew girls were menstruating because of which toilets they used (India [247]).”
From Water, sanitation, and women’s empowerment: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis (2022) · cites this paper as [223]
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- Authors
- Norling, M., Stenzelius, K., Ekman, N., & Wennick, A.
- Affiliations
- Malmö University (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Wennick, Anne
- Venue
- The Journal of School Nursing
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2015-10-16
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 164-171
- ISSN
- 1059-8405 (ISSN-L)
- 1546-8364
- OpenAlex
- W2205574595
- Cited by
- 40
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 2.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of School Nursing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Malmö University Publications (Malmö University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › School Health and Nursing Education
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Studies and Social Issues
- Social Sciences › Education › Educational Environments and Student Outcomes
- Keywords
- school toilets, restrooms, high school students, student experience, coping strategies, exposure, school health, student rights
- MeSH terms
- Bathroom Equipment, Adolescent, Consumer Behavior, Female, Humans, Hygiene, Interviews as Topic, Male, Sanitation, Schools, Students, Sweden
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