The Importance of Sanitation in Improving Public Health

Oct 13, 2025 by talynt.org 53 views

Maintenance of Family Latrines and Defecation Behavior after the Community-Based Total Sanitation Program (STBM) in Pangaribuan Village, Siratian District, Nempu Hulu, Dairi Regency in 2016

Sanitation issues, especially the practice of defecating in the open, is a serious concern in improving public health. One of the most effective approaches to overcome this problem is Community-Based Sanitation (STBM). Pangaribuan Village, located in Siratian District, Nempu Hulu, Dairi Regency, is one of the villages that has been declared free from the practice of defecating carelessly (ODF). In this context, research aims to explore "Maintenance of Family Latrines and Defecation Behavior after Community-Based Total Sanitation Program (STBM) in Pangaribuan Village". This study will examine the maintenance of family latrines and behavior (knowledge, attitudes, and actions) of the community in defecating after the application of the STBM program.

The Importance of Sanitation in Improving Public Health

Good sanitation is one of the important pillars in improving the quality of life of the community. The practice of defecating carelessly not only threatens individual health, but also affects overall public health. The STBM program is expected to be the first step in creating sanitation awareness in the community. By promoting proper defecation behavior and maintaining family latrines, the community can reduce the risk of waterborne diseases and improve overall health.

Methodology and Results

The research method used is descriptive by relying on questionnaires distributed to respondents and observation sheets to evaluate the maintenance of latrines. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the knowledge, attitudes, and defecation actions in latrines, as well as the maintenance of family latrines, as well as efforts to increase public awareness in using family latrines after the STBM program is implemented.

The results showed that people's behavior in the "sufficient" category reached 105 people (42.9%), while those included in the "good" category amounted to 161 people (65.7%) and the "less" category of 93 people (38%). Only 4 latrines (5.3%) meet the criteria as a healthy latrine. The effort made to make the village free from defecating practices is to increase public awareness through the Kilometer Puskesmas program 11.

Analysis and Explanation

From this finding, it is expected that the health party, especially from the Kilometer 11 Puskesmas, can provide broader information about the behavior of defecation in latrines and the maintenance of latrines, especially to people who have simple latrines. In addition, the community is expected to improve the quality of the family toilet to become a healthy latrine and can maintain its maintenance well.

The Role of Health Promotion in Maintaining Family Latrines

The importance of maintenance of family latrines cannot be ignored. Although the community has received a latrine, poor maintenance can result in the health of its users. Therefore, education and health promotion are needed to increase public knowledge about the importance of maintaining the cleanliness and function of the toilet.

Health Promotion Activities for Improving Sanitation

Health promotion activities carried out by the Kilometer 11 Puskesmas must focus more on improving the quality of simple latrines owned by the community. This can include good latrine making training, counseling on how to care for latrines, and invite the community to participate in maintaining environmental cleanliness.

Conclusion

This action aims to achieve a more continuous success of the STBM program, so that the community is not only free from defecating practices, but also has a qualified understanding and skills in maintaining sanitation in their environment. With these steps, it is hoped that the quality of health and life of the people in Pangaribuan Village can improve significantly.

Recommendations

Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made:

The health party, especially from the Kilometer 11 Puskesmas, should provide broader information about the behavior of defecation in latrines and the maintenance of latrines, especially to people who have simple latrines.
The community should improve the quality of the family toilet to become a healthy latrine and can maintain its maintenance well.
Health promotion activities should focus more on improving the quality of simple latrines owned by the community.
The community should participate in maintaining environmental cleanliness.

Limitations of the Study

This study has several limitations, including:

The study only focused on one village, Pangaribuan Village, and may not be representative of other villages.
The study only examined the maintenance of family latrines and defecation behavior after the STBM program, and may not have considered other factors that may influence sanitation behavior.
The study relied on questionnaires and observation sheets, which may not be the most accurate measures of sanitation behavior.

Future Research Directions

Future research should focus on:

Examining the effectiveness of the STBM program in other villages.
Investigating the factors that influence sanitation behavior, including cultural, social, and economic factors.
Developing and evaluating health promotion interventions to improve sanitation behavior.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of maintaining family latrines and defecation behavior after the STBM program in Pangaribuan Village. The study found that people's behavior in the "sufficient" category reached 105 people (42.9%), while those included in the "good" category amounted to 161 people (65.7%) and the "less" category of 93 people (38%). Only 4 latrines (5.3%) meet the criteria as a healthy latrine. The study recommends that the health party, especially from the Kilometer 11 Puskesmas, should provide broader information about the behavior of defecation in latrines and the maintenance of latrines, especially to people who have simple latrines. The community should improve the quality of the family toilet to become a healthy latrine and can maintain its maintenance well. Health promotion activities should focus more on improving the quality of simple latrines owned by the community. The community should participate in maintaining environmental cleanliness.
Q&A: Maintenance of Family Latrines and Defecation Behavior after the Community-Based Total Sanitation Program (STBM) in Pangaribuan Village

Q: What is the Community-Based Total Sanitation Program (STBM)?

A: The Community-Based Total Sanitation Program (STBM) is a program aimed at improving sanitation in communities by promoting proper defecation behavior and maintaining family latrines. The program is designed to create sanitation awareness in the community and to improve the quality of life of the people.

Q: What is the goal of the STBM program in Pangaribuan Village?

A: The goal of the STBM program in Pangaribuan Village is to make the village free from defecating practices and to improve the quality of life of the people by promoting proper defecation behavior and maintaining family latrines.

Q: What are the benefits of maintaining family latrines?

A: Maintaining family latrines is essential for improving public health. Properly maintained latrines can reduce the risk of waterborne diseases and improve overall health. Additionally, maintaining family latrines can also improve the quality of life of the people by providing a clean and safe environment.

Q: What are the challenges faced by the community in maintaining family latrines?

A: The community may face several challenges in maintaining family latrines, including lack of knowledge, lack of resources, and lack of motivation. Additionally, the community may also face cultural and social barriers that may hinder the maintenance of family latrines.

Q: What role does the health party play in maintaining family latrines?

A: The health party, especially from the Kilometer 11 Puskesmas, plays a crucial role in maintaining family latrines. They provide information and education to the community on the importance of maintaining family latrines and promote proper defecation behavior.

Q: What are the recommendations for improving sanitation behavior in Pangaribuan Village?

A: The recommendations for improving sanitation behavior in Pangaribuan Village include:

Providing broader information about the behavior of defecation in latrines and the maintenance of latrines, especially to people who have simple latrines.
Improving the quality of the family toilet to become a healthy latrine and can maintain its maintenance well.
Focusing more on improving the quality of simple latrines owned by the community.
Participating in maintaining environmental cleanliness.

Q: What are the limitations of the study?

A: The study has several limitations, including:

The study only focused on one village, Pangaribuan Village, and may not be representative of other villages.
The study only examined the maintenance of family latrines and defecation behavior after the STBM program, and may not have considered other factors that may influence sanitation behavior.
The study relied on questionnaires and observation sheets, which may not be the most accurate measures of sanitation behavior.

Q: What are the future research directions?

A: Future research should focus on:

Examining the effectiveness of the STBM program in other villages.
Investigating the factors that influence sanitation behavior, including cultural, social, and economic factors.
Developing and evaluating health promotion interventions to improve sanitation behavior.

Q: What is the conclusion of the study?

A: The study highlights the importance of maintaining family latrines and defecation behavior after the STBM program in Pangaribuan Village. The study found that people's behavior in the "sufficient" category reached 105 people (42.9%), while those included in the "good" category amounted to 161 people (65.7%) and the "less" category of 93 people (38%). Only 4 latrines (5.3%) meet the criteria as a healthy latrine. The study recommends that the health party, especially from the Kilometer 11 Puskesmas, should provide broader information about the behavior of defecation in latrines and the maintenance of latrines, especially to people who have simple latrines. The community should improve the quality of the family toilet to become a healthy latrine and can maintain its maintenance well. Health promotion activities should focus more on improving the quality of simple latrines owned by the community. The community should participate in maintaining environmental cleanliness.