If you build it will they come? Factors influencing rural primary pupils' urination and defecation practices at school in western Kenya
Abstract
There is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of sanitation behaviors and determinants in the school setting to mitigate health risks, improve sanitation practices and programs, and maximize educational and health impacts. We conducted qualitative research with pupils and teachers in western Kenya to understand where pupils urinate and defecate and what factors influence location selection. Despite the availability of gender-separated latrines at all schools, pupils listed numerous locations for urination and defecation. Several physical environmental, social, and individual factors influence pupils' selection of where to urinate and defecate. Physical environment factors include condition, safety, privacy, accessibility, and availability of facilities; social factors include norms, expectations, and responsibility; and individual factors include experience, routine, risk perception, and personal needs. Students simultaneously weigh several competing factors to determine where to go. The factors that facilitate or hinder latrine use need to be taken into consideration during design, construction, operation and maintenance, if healthy habits are to be formed and sustained.
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Access to adequate water and sanitation is limited in informal settlements, contributing to girls' challenges managing menstruation at school.
“Access to adequate water and sanitation is limited in informal settlements, contributing to girls’ challenges managing menstruation at school, especially when they cannot access materials to absorb menstrual blood and appropriate facilities for hygiene.”
From Physical, social, and political inequities constraining girls’ menstrual management at schools in informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya. (2017) · cites this paper as [6]
Girls may not have adequate facilities at school such as safe, private, and clean toilets equipped with functional door locks, water for personal hygiene, or disposal facilities.
“They may not have adequate facilities at school such as safe, private, and clean toilets equipped with functional door locks, water for personal hygiene, or disposal facilities [5, 6, 10–12].”
From Physical, social, and political inequities constraining girls’ menstrual management at schools in informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya. (2017) · cites this paper as [6]
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- Authors
- Caruso, B. A., Dreibelbis, R., Ogutu, E. A., & Rheingans, R.
- Affiliations
- Emory University (US)
- University of Oklahoma (US)
- Great Lakes University of Kisumu (KE)
- University of Florida (US)
- Corresponding author
- Caruso, Bethany A.
- Venue
- Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development
- Publisher
- IWA Publishing
- Published
- 2014-07-08
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 642-653
- ISSN
- 2043-9083 (ISSN-L)
- 2408-9362
- OpenAlex
- W2312413167
- Cited by
- 27
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 3.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › School Health and Nursing Education
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Studies and Social Issues
- Keywords
- school sanitation, school latrines, rural primary schools, latrine maintenance, risk perception, social norms, Western Kenya
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