The impact of water on health and ill-health in a sub-Saharan African wetland: Exploring both sides of the coin

Self Cite

We examine factors associated with the use of basic water supply and sanitation services as part of an integrated community-based nutrition programme which included a drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) intervention and emphasise findings related to health risk perceptions. Data were collected from 2658 households in four regions in Ethiopia with a cross-sectional survey in WaSH intervention areas, as well as in control areas, where the intervention was not implemented. The data were analysed using bivariate and multivariable regression analysis. Awareness of health risk factors related to inadequate WaSH was high in the programme area. The use of basic water and sanitation services was associated with several health risk perceptions: Perceiving water quality as good increased the odds of using basic water services as opposed to believing the water quality was poor (OR 3.94; CI 3.06–5.08; p ≤ 0.001). Believing that drinking unsafe water was the main cause for diarrhoea increased the odds of using basic water services (OR 1.48; CI 1.20–1.81; p ≤ 0.001). In the WaSH intervention group, the use of basic sanitation was more likely than in the control group. The use of basic sanitation was associated with households who had previously received sanitation training, as opposed to such who had not (OR 1.55; CI 1.22–1.97; p ≤ 0.001). Perceiving dirty space as the main cause of diarrhoea (OR 1.81; CI 1.50–2.19; p ≤ 0.001), and privacy when using a latrine (OR 2.00; CI 1.67–2.40; p ≤ 0.001), were associated with higher odds of using basic sanitation. Households that indicated a disadvantage of owning a latrine was maintenance costs were less likely to use basic sanitation (OR 0.49; CI 0.38–0.63; p ≤ 0.001). Risk perceptions were important determinants of use of basic services. The findings point to risk perceptions motivating the application of positive WaSH-related and health-protective behaviours. This suggests that well-designed health risk communication strategies may be effective for engaging households in healthy WaSH behaviour.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Health Risk Perceptions Are Associated with Domestic Use of Basic Water and Sanitation Services—Evidence from Rural Ethiopia

Anthonj

Fleming

Godfrey

et al. 2018

Self Cite

“…The perceived risk of diarrhoea was significantly higher for households who constructed only pit and superstructure, while the ownership of a complete latrine as well as latrine use reduced the perceived risk. The perceived risk of a practice has the potential to stimulate and shape households’ behaviours [41,42,43]. However, though risk perception may evoke precautionary measures [44], it is not a determinant of preventive health behaviours [45].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Associated with Levels of Latrine Completion and Consequent Latrine Use in Northern Ghana

Nunbogu

Harter

Mosler

2019

Open defecation is still a major health problem in developing countries. While enormous empirical research exists on latrine coverage, little is known about households’ latrine construction and usage behaviours. Using field observation and survey data collected from 1523 households in 132 communities in northern Ghana after 16 months of implementation of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), this paper assessed the factors associated with latrine completion and latrine use. The survey tool was structured to conform to the Risk, Attitude, Norms, Ability and Self-regulation (RANAS) model. In the analysis, we classified households into three based on their latrine completion level, and conducted descriptive statistics for statistical correlation in level of latrine construction and latrine use behaviour. The findings suggest that open defecation among households reduces as latrine construction approaches completion. Although the study did not find socio-demographic differences of household to be significantly associated with level of latrine completion, we found that social context is a significant determinant of households’ latrine completion decisions. The study therefore emphasises the need for continuous sensitisation and social marketing to ensure latrine completion by households at lower levels of construction, and the sustained use of latrines by households.

“…Examples are air pollution, industrial waste pollution, noise pollution, domestic waste pollution, water pollution, and food pollution [ 6 , 7 ]. Based on people’s intuitions and experiences, environmental risk perception (ERP) can trigger either rejection or adoption of self-precautionary or self-protective health behaviors by judging the severity of environmental risk [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Therefore, ERP may significantly influence individual health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influences of Migrant Construction Workers’ Environmental Risk Perception on Their Physical and Mental Health: Evidence from China

Yao

Luo

Yang

2020

Employing Chinese General Social Survey 2013 data (N = 678), this study examines the influences of migrant construction workers’ environmental risk perception (ERP) on their physical and mental health. The ERP of migrant construction workers is characterized by six dimensions: perceptions of air pollution, industrial waste pollution and noise pollution at working sites, and perceptions of domestic waste pollution, water pollution and food pollution at living sites. The results indicate that migrant construction workers with stronger ERP have better physical and mental health. The results also suggest the influences of ERP on the physical and mental health of migrant construction workers with different gender and age (<50 and ≥50 years) are heterogeneous. Perceptions of industrial waste pollution, noise pollution and domestic waste pollution significantly affect female workers’ physical health, but not that of male workers. The six dimensions of ERP all significantly influence male workers’ mental health, while except for domestic waste pollution perception, the other perceptions do not influence that of female workers. Perceptions of air pollution, domestic waste pollution, and water pollution significantly influence physical health of workers aged 50 and above, while those of ERP do not work on that of workers younger than 50. Perception of food pollution significantly influences mental health of workers younger than 50, but not that of workers aged 50 and above. The seemingly unrelated regression shows the results in this paper are robust.