Conditions of Restrooms in Masjed Soleyman Schools: Ergonomic Principles

Abstract

Background: It is one of the students’ inalienable individual and social rights to educate in a safe and sanitary environment. Accordingly, this study sought to investigate the conditions of restrooms in Masjed Soleyman schools regarding ergonomic principles in the educational settings. Methods: This descriptive study used a survey instrument. The population included all teachers at elementary, junior, and high schools of Masjed Soleyman in the school year 2015 - 2016, of whom 267 were selected as the sample of the study based on cluster sampling. The instrument of the study was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the observation checklist, consisting of 7 items on a 5-degree scale that quantitatively were graded from 1 to 5. The highest score and the lowest score were indicative of the most desirable and the least desirable condition of the schools’ restrooms, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive (frequency, percentile, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (univariate t-test and Kolmogorov–Smirnov test) using SPSS 21. Results: The results indicated that the condition of restrooms in Masjed Soleyman schools regarding ergonomic principles is unfavorable (53%). The most inappropriate conditions included non-standard floors and walls (39%), lack of air conditioning (51%), lack of electric fans and openable guarded windows (51%), and incongruity between the number of restrooms and students (52%). Conclusions: In educational planning, it is of great importance to pave the way for improving the sanitary conditions at schools and paying more attention to quality rather than quantity.