Study Of The Rural School Sanitation And Rural Pupils’ Health Status Associated With Water Shortage In Drought Area

ObjectivesThrough the survey on the water and environmental sanitation of rural schools in the drought area, the study aims to realize the operation and management of water and sanitation facilities in rural schools under water shortage circumstance, to evaluate the impact of water-deficient on the pupils’ health and personal behavior. Provide the reference data for improving the school drinking water quality of and sanitation facilities.Methods5rural primary schools of Huining county Gansu province were selected for the study, including4schools which were lack of water throughout the year and1control school. Investigate the base condition, water supply, environmental sanitation and basic health facilities of the rural schools, do some interviews with schoolmasters. Choosing Grade four pupils of the5schools randomly, through self-administered questionnaire, physical examination and stool examination for Parasites, investigate the pupils’ drinking habit, health knowledge and behavior, growing development and health status. The survey data was input into EXCEL database, and was analyzed by using of SPSS17.0software.Results1. The main water source of water-deficient schools is from precipitation. The schools collect precipitation which can be used for9months in cellar for daily use. Water-deficient schools spent money carting the Yellow River water in the dry season the cost is about20～80 RMB per ton. The water-deficient schools did not disinfect the cellar water regularly, and the schools’microbiological indexes were over-standard, including the total coliforms and thermo-tolerant coliform bacteria. Water consumption per capita is only1.76L/d in water-deficient schools, which is far lower than the control school10.59L/d. Water-deficient schools were lack of basic sanitation facilities, such as hand-washing pool, boiler room and so on. There were2water-deficient schools whose water source distance from toilet or garbage dump was less than the standard30m.2. In water-deficient group,10%of the pupils drunk water provided by schools. The proportion was significantly lower than the control group. There were11students, about3.24%, who never drink water in water-deficient group; while there was none in control group. About80%of the pupils brought drinking water from home for school drinking. There were more pupils dinking less than500ml in water-deficient schools than in control school. The proportions of the pupils who drunk unboiled water frequently at school and at home in water-deficient group were both significantly higher than the control group.3. The boys’BMI (body mass index) and the weight in water-deficient group were significantly lower than that of the control group. The other growth and development index were similar between the two groups. The height, weight, BMI, chest girth and skinfold thickness of the pupils in Huining County were all significantly lower than that of the whole country.4. The prevalence of abnormal conjunctiva in water-deficient group was72.86%, while the rate of the control group was56.25%. The difference between the two groups was significant. The pupils’illness rate of decayed tooth in water-deficient schools was67.35%, which was significantly higher than that of the control group. There were8pupils whose fecal parasite eggs test was positive; and there were scabies (between fingers), tinea and ringworm patients in water-deficient group, while there was no parasitic and skin disease patient in control group.5. There were11pupils in water-deficient group who never drink water at school. The prevalence of poor eyesight, abnormal conjunctiva, decayed tooth, mouth dryness and pale fingernail of the11pupils were63.64%,81.82%,72.73%,81.82%and45.45%respectively, which were all higher than the average prevalence in Huining rural school.6. The accurate rate of hygienic behavior of the11pupils was lower than the average rate in Huining rural school. The accurate rates of brushing teeth twice a day, not rubbing eyes with fingers, washing hand after defecate and keeping hands clean were18.18%,9.09%,27.27%and36.36%respectively.Conclusions1. The main water source of water-deficient schools is collecting precipitation in cellar. The water-deficient schools’water storage could not enough for annual use, so the schools spent money carting water to solve the water-deficient problem. The water consumption per capita was less. Water-deficient schools were lack of basic sanitation facilities.2. The water in water-deficient schools was polluted by microorganism seriously. The main reasons were including drinking cellar water, water storage time too long, disinfecting water irregularly and the distance between cellar and latrine or garbage dump too close.3. The majority of the pupils took drinking water from home. Pupils in water-deficient group drank less water than the pupils in control group while at school. There were more students in water-deficient schools drinking unboiled water frequently and never drinking water during school.4. The boys in water-deficient group had poor body development and body composition. The level of growth and development of pupils in Huining County was poorer than the average of the whole country.5. There were more abnormal conjunctiva, decayed tooth, parasitic disease and skin disease pupils in water-deficient group.6. The pupils who never drunk water in school got higher prevalence of eye disease and oral disease; and lower accurate rate of hygienic behavior.