Water and Sanitation in Schools: A Systematic Review of the Health and Educational Outcomes

Abstract

A systematic review of the literature on the effects of water and sanitation in schools was performed. The goal was to characterize the impacts of water and sanitation inadequacies in the academic environment. Published peer reviewed literature was screened and articles that documented the provision of water and sanitation at schools were considered. Forty-one peer-reviewed papers met the criteria of exploring the effects of the availability of water and/or sanitation facilities in educational establishments. Chosen studies were divided into six fields based on their specific foci: water for drinking, water for handwashing, water for drinking and handwashing, water for sanitation, sanitation for menstruation and combined water and sanitation. The studies provide evidence for an increase in water intake with increased provision of water and increased access to water facilities. Articles also report an increase in absenteeism from schools in developing countries during menses due to inadequate sanitation facilities. Lastly, there is a reported decrease in diarrheal and gastrointestinal diseases with increased access to adequate sanitation facilities in schools. Ensuring ready access to safe drinking water, and hygienic toilets that offer privacy to users has great potential to beneficially impact children’s health. Additional studies that examine the relationship between sanitation provisions in schools are needed to more adequately characterize the impact of water and sanitation on educational achievements.

PRECEDE-PROCEED Theory Regarding Socio-Cultural Aspects that Influence the Treatment of Healthy Reproduction Organs among Senior High School Female Students in Surakarta

“…These countries in the same time also have female teachers and female school nurses who support menstruation-related management. The existing evidence supports the claim that the lack of water and sanitation facility for managing menstruation in school environment causes discomfort and going to school-avoidance in during menstruation (Jasper, 2012).…”

Practices of Managing Menstrual Hygiene by Girls in Public Boarding Secondary Schools - The Case of the Hhohho Region of Swaziland

“…Since menstruation is a natural event, a key priority for women and girls is to have the necessary knowledge, facilities and cultural environment to manage it hygienically and with dignity. However, the importance of menstrual hygiene management is mostly neglected by development practitioners within the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) [2] and other related sectors such as reproductive health practitioners [3][4][5].…”

“…While disposable menstrual wear has been hailed as an advantage for women in terms of comfort and convenience, it contributes to a major human impact on the environment. The increased use of disposable menstrual products may lead to Environmental pollution [3,7].…”

Gender Responsiveness of Provisioning and Management of Water and Sanitation Facilities in East African Universities

“…There is a body of literature on water and sanitation in educational institutions. It focuses on water conservation (Zellner, 2014); standards of toilets (Barnes and Maddocks, 2002); review of health and educational outcomes (Jasper et al,2012); perceptions of school toilets as a cause for irregular toilet habits among schoolchildren aged 6 to 16 years (Lundblad and Hellstrom, 2005); water, sanitation and hygiene standards for schools in low-cost settings, enrolments, quality and relevance of education, funding and technological innovations; (Kasozi, 2004;Mamdani, 2007;UNESCO, 2006;and Bhatia et al, 2010). Most of these studies were conducted outside Africa and in pre-University Educational Institutions.…”