ABSTRACT

Banton, Genevie M., Diaz, Catherine Rica G., Don, Sailany D., Escober, John Kenith M., and Gimena, Macrel John C.: SANITATION PRACTICES OF RESIDENTS OF BARANGAY RAWIS, LEGAZPI CITY, (An Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, College of Nursing, Aquinas University, April 2014).

Sanitation is the science and practice of effecting healthful and hygienic conditions. "Sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the
safe disposal of human urine and feces" (World Health Organization [WHO], 2008). Proper sanitation greatly helps in achieving optimal health of individuals. Unsanitary practices threaten the sustainability of the environment and health of the individuals and may cause major diseases in the country. Thus, improving and maintaining proper sanitation is beneficial to the health of the individuals as well as of the communities. Personal hygiene and hand washing are greatly encouraged after defecating, before and after eating, and before cooking to minimize or lessen bacteria. Proper sanitation is the easiest and cheapest way of preventing water-borne diseases.

This study looked into the sanitation practices of residents of Barangay Rawis, Legazpi City. It sought answers to the following questions: 1) What is the profile of the respondents of Brgy. Rawis, Legazpi City in terms of educational attainment, family income, family size, household structure and toilet facilities. 2) What are the sanitation practices of the residents of the selected barangay? 3) What are the factors that affect their sanitation practices? 4) What measures may be recommended to address the problems related to their sanitation practices?

The beneficiaries of this study include the residents, barangay officials and barangay health workers, city health officer, sanitary inspector, local government
executives, department of health, health care advocates and future researchers. This study is anchored on Madeleine Leininger's Transcultural Theory in Nursing and Albert Bandura's Theory. There are thirty respondents in this study. The study used descriptive method using a questionnaire. Primary data were obtained from the thirty respondents. The questionnaire which served as the main instrument of the study had three parts: profile of the respondents, sanitation practices and factors that affect their sanitation practices. After a careful study of the data gathered, the following are the findings. Based on the profile of the respondents, the highest educational attainment by the respondents was high school graduate, 8 out of 30 or 27%; while 6 or 20% were graduates. As to family income, 19 or 63.33% of the respondents gain a monthly family income of P1000-5000 while 10 or 33.33% gain a monthly family income of below P1000. The most common source of income of the respondents is fishing. In terms family size, 4-6 family members yielded the highest frequency with 16 respondents or 53.33% while 10 or 33.33% respondents belong to 7-10 family members. With regard to household structures, 50% of the respondents or 15 have a makeshift household structure, 10 or 33.33% have semi concrete, and only 5 or 16.67% have concrete household structures. Most of the respondents, 20 or 66.67% have water sealed toilet facility for defecation while only 5 or 16.67% have flush toilet facility. As to the sanitation practices, most of the respondents know the importance of hand washing practices to avoid health problems that may cause diseases as shown by the rating "always" performed. Some of the respondents know the significance of cleaning the comfort rooms to minimize and avoid disease-causing organisms as shown by the rating "often" performed. They seldom use hand sanitizer only after using the toilet. Most of the respondents do not use tissue paper or wet wipes in cleaning their anal area after defecation as revealed by the rating "never" performed. The overall weighted mean with regard to the sanitation practices of the respondents is 3.65 with an adjectival interpretation of "often". As to the factors that affect the sanitation practices, most of the respondents agree that limited space where to build an approved disposal facility is the biggest factor that affects their sanitary behaviors.

Based on the findings, the following conclusions were drawn. Majority of the respondents are high school graduates and belong to a medium sized family with a low income; they live in makeshift or semi concrete household structures; and they use water sealed toilet facilities. Residents of Barangay Rawis perceive that washing of hands properly every after toilet use is the best practice as to sanitation despite their low educational background. It was found that most of the respondents use water with soap to wash their anus after defecation rather than tissue and other wipes. Residents of Barangay Rawis believe that to attain proper sanitary demeanor there should be sufficient space as to disposal facility. Among the measures that may be recommended to address the needs include proper health education especially on cleaning and disinfecting comfort rooms and providing adequate water; conduct of regular health monitoring and deworming activity especially among children, promotion of proper hygienic practices and environmental sanitation, information dissemination by barangay health workers in cooperation with the Department of Health (DOH) in the form of seminars and lectures on the importance, benefits, advantages and disadvantages of proper sanitation practices. Focus of this activity must be given to residents on proper sanitation seems to be the best way to enhance their sanitation practices in the barangay.

Based on the foregoing conclusions, the following recommendations are hereby forwarded. The residents should carry out and be part of the actual proper sanitation promotion activities in the community to make them more aware and responsible in maintaining and improving their sanitation practices. Education campaign regarding proper excreta disposal must be intensified. The Barangay Officials should implement rules and regulations regarding proper waste disposal of used diapers soaked with urine and feces. The Barangay Health Workers in cooperation with the Department of Health should conduct seminars or information dissemination in the barangay about proper sanitation practices and the diseases that may result from improper sanitation practices. The government and non-government agencies concerned should include the barangay in their sanitation management like provision of comfort rooms to those who do not have their own toilets, repair and reconstruction of the public comfort rooms, and provision of pay per use toilets.