Ease of restroom access influences fluid consumption habits and health in classroom teachers.

Objectives. There are rising concerns about the health of classroom teachers in the USA, including stress, hypertension and frequent urinary tract infections. Teacher working conditions are likely a contributor to their health concerns. Many teachers report that they cannot easily take a restroom break at work, and therefore they consume minimal water or other fluids. This study investigated the relationship between restroom access and fluid consumption and the prevalence of renal and cardiovascular health complications in classroom teachers. Methods. The responses of 844 teachers (92% women, 8% men; 65.1% between age 26 and 45 years) to an online survey about restroom accessibility, fluid consumption and health were analyzed using descriptive statistics, χ2 analyses and logistic regression. Results. Fifty-nine percent of teachers could not easily take a restroom break, and 54.7% consumed fewer than 2 cups of water per workday. Furthermore, 44.8% reported being pre-hypertensive and 4.9% reported being hypertensive. Teachers with insufficient restroom access were significantly more likely to report frequent urinary tract infections. Conclusions. This study demonstrates a relationship between restroom access, fluid consumption and renal/cardiovascular health in classroom teachers. Future research should directly investigate how teacher work environment impacts renal and cardiovascular health.

Social support in a parenting Facebook group during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: This paper includes a mixed methods content analysis of a parenting Facebook group focused on COVID-19. We analyze participants' posts to identify the types of support parents sought and gave. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased parental stress and challenges related to children's development. Many families turned to social media as a source of information and social support. Method: We analyzed 1,180 posts from a large, closed Facebook group focused on parenting during COVID-19. We coded posts using a modified version of social support theory and supplemented this analysis with codes related to giving and receiving support, post format, and topic. Results: Participants frequently offered informational support, typically reposting content from other sources. There were fewer instances of soliciting support, but these posts had significantly more comments. The most common topics discussed were parenting and child development, remote schooling support, literacy, and adult mental health. Conclusion: Findings illustrate the benefits and challenges of online support communities for parents, especially those on social media platforms. Implications: These results suggest areas where parents may need or want support during and after COVID-19 and ways in which social media can serve as a form of parenting social support.