Using popular culture to fill in the gaps in public health knowledge – the case of school toilets

BACKGROUND: Avoiding going to the toilets during the school day has serious implications on children's health and education. Concerns about using the toilets may also lead to reduce intake of fluid, resulting in dehydration and associated dizziness, fatigue and poor concentration, compromising children's education as well as their overall well-being. Yet, there is limited evidence on the reasons behind children's tendency to avoid using the school's toilets. To address this paper presents the representation of school in popular culture, as a way to understand how children perceive school toilets. METHODS: Popular culture play a significant role in shaping perceptions of places and people, serving as the primary way in which they learn about people's experiences. Thus, the way the toilets are represented in popular culture such as books or films may influence adolescents’ use of public toilets, even if they are not aware of that. This paper explores some films, young adults books and children books to identify the narratives around school toilets as portrayed in popular culture/ RESULTS: The narrative of school toilets in popular media can be divided to three main themes, toilets as a place that provides safety and privacy from the prying eyes of both peers and the authorities; toilets as a space for illegitimate activities, aggression and bullying; spaces where sub-cultures and anti-establishment activities emerge. While these themes are not mutually exclusive, each has its unique aspect in the perception and representation of the role that school toilets play in children's lives. DISCUSSION: This presentation will help shaping the conversation about a public health problem that is rarely discussed. It will shed a light on the perceived role of public toilets and will help finding way to address and alleviate concerns about using toilets in school.