The Netherlands Many Dutch people refrain from going to the school toilet

According to a survey, half of pupils in the Netherlands often refrain from going to the toilet at school because they find their school toilets dirty or lack privacy. 43 percent of pupils who withheld their need to go to the toilet suffered from complaints such as stomach ache, according to a survey by the Dutch Stomach, Liver and Intestine Foundation (mlds).

In addition to a lack of hygiene, the reason for not going to the toilet at school was also the concern that classmates might hear or smell them, according to the respondents. Some also felt disturbed by classmates smoking in the toilet or hindered by internal school rules on using the toilet.

According to doctors at the Children's Abdominal Center at the Amsterdam University Hospital, schoolchildren can suffer from severe constipation due to their "lingering behavior", which can lead to abdominal pain, nausea and incontinence. "We find that the number of children who say they have tummy problems because they hold up their stools is alarmingly high, much higher than we expected," said pediatrician Marc Benninga. School toilets should be cleaned several times a day and equipped with solid doors and walls and ventilation, the specialists advised.

For the study, which is said to be representative, 1,000 pupils aged 8 to 16 were surveyed between July 8 and 16.

SDA