Social media buzzes with discussions on many Kenyans struggling to squat properly when using rural pit latrines. Gastrointestinal experts emphasize that squatting aids easier bowel evacuation and prevents issues. Scientific studies support these claims.
Social media platforms are filled with debates among Kenyans about difficulties in squatting correctly, particularly during the long December holidays when many return to rural areas and use pit latrines. Some postpone bowel movements until they return to urban areas, while others visit hotels not for meals but to access modern toilets.
Dr. Amos Mwasamwaja, a gastroenterologist at Aga Khan University Hospital, explains that squatting shortens toilet time and facilitates stool movement. "It reduces the time spent on the toilet and eases bowel evacuation. It helps stool pass, unlike sitting," he states. He notes that sitting on modern toilets increases straining, which slows evacuation and leads to a sensation of incomplete emptying, potentially causing constipation.
Furthermore, squatting allows stool to pass with minimal resistance, reducing straining and toilet duration. Dr. Mwasamwaja warns that excessive straining from sitting can lead to risks like swelling or rectal prolapse due to pressure on nearby blood vessels. For those unable to squat, he suggests elevating feet with a small stool to open the anal pathway.
A 2010 study published in the Low Urinary Tract Symptoms journal found that squatting relaxes the anal canal and rectum, easing defecation. Another 2003 study in Digestive Diseases and Sciences involved 28 healthy individuals and showed that squatting significantly reduces the time to feel complete evacuation and straining efforts compared to sitting.
Dr. Alemanji Ajua, another specialist at the hospital and president of the Kenya Society of Gastroenterology, adds that defecation relies on anatomical balance and muscle coordination. He cautions that sitting toilets promote excessive straining, which may cause minor tears and bleeding, along with gas buildup and abdominal pain from incomplete evacuation.
