Study of defecation places and feces distribution in North Buton Regency

Background: Poor sanitation can likely contaminate drinking water, leading to the development of cholera and other deadly diseases. The number of people who defecate in the open worldwide has fallen by more than two-thirds over the past two decades. Data from the Community Health Development Division of the Southeast Sulawesi Health Office reports that the ODF level in Southeast Sulawesi as of today shows that it is already 59 percent of the total target of 60 percent. So efforts are needed in North Buton Regency to achieve the target of stopping open defecation that has been launched by the Indonesian government.

Objective: The aim of this research is to examine defecation habits and places where feces are distributed in North Buton Regency. 

Methods: This type of research is quantitative descriptive, with a survey approach. The sample in this study was 3,640 houses. Each village/kelurahan is represented by 40 households taken using a simple random sampling technique. 

Results: The majority of respondents disposed of feces in private latrines, namely 2,769 (76.1%), while the least was defecation in ditches and ditches around people's houses, namely 2 (0.1%), and the majority of houses collected/distributed feces in dug holes. namely 2,369 (65.08%), while the least is accommodated/distributed directly in the river/lake/beach/sea, are15 (0.41%). 

Conclusion: Most people in North Buton Regency defecate in private latrines, and the resulting feces are channeled/discarded into dug holes in the ground.