Water use behaviors and water access in intermittent and continuous water supply areas during the COVID-19 pandemic

Kumpel, Emily; Billava, Nayaran; Nayak, Nayanatara S.; Ercümen, Ayşe

doi:10.2166/wh.2021.184

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Current recommendations for the use of plain soap are consistent with findings from a systematic review that suggest that plain soap is more effective than antibacterial soap at removing or inactivating pathogens on hands in community settings 80. Recommendations for running water are equally relevant as unreliable water supply negatively affects households’ ability to perform hand hygiene 81. Gaps in recommendations on minimum quantities of soap and water required for effective hand hygiene are also important for future guidelines to address.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

Recommendations for hand hygiene in community settings: a scoping review of current international guidelines

et al. 2023

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BackgroundHand hygiene is an important measure to prevent disease transmission.ObjectiveTo summarise current international guideline recommendations for hand hygiene in community settings and to assess to what extent they are consistent and evidence based.Eligibility criteriaWe included international guidelines with one or more recommendations on hand hygiene in community settings—categorised as domestic, public or institutional—published by international organisations, in English or French, between 1 January 1990 and 15 November 2021.Data sourcesTo identify relevant guidelines, we searched the WHO Institutional Repository for Information Sharing Database, Google, websites of international organisations, and contacted expert organisations and individuals.Charting methodsRecommendations were mapped to four areas related to hand hygiene: (1) effective hand hygiene; (2) minimum requirements; (3) behaviour change and (4) government measures. Recommendations were assessed for consistency, concordance and whether supported by evidence.ResultsWe identified 51 guidelines containing 923 recommendations published between 1999 and 2021 by multilateral agencies and international non-governmental organisations. Handwashing with soap is consistently recommended as the preferred method for hand hygiene across all community settings. Most guidelines specifically recommend handwashing with plain soap and running water for at least 20 s; single-use paper towels for hand drying; and alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) as a complement or alternative to handwashing. There are inconsistent and discordant recommendations for water quality for handwashing, affordable and effective alternatives to soap and ABHR, and the design of handwashing stations. There are gaps in recommendations on soap and water quantity, behaviour change approaches and government measures required for effective hand hygiene. Less than 10% of recommendations are supported by any cited evidence.ConclusionWhile current international guidelines consistently recommend handwashing with soap across community settings, there remain gaps in recommendations where clear evidence-based guidance might support more effective policy and investment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

Recommendations for hand hygiene in community settings: a scoping review of current international guidelines

et al. 2023

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“…Like what has been noted in this study, a study among health workers in Zimbabwe identified lack of running water in the community in health care settings as one of the factors fuelling transmission of COVID-19 in the country [ 18 ]. Intermittent and insufficient water for hand washing during the COVID-19 pandemic was also reported in India [ 34 ]. Thus, vulnerable communities are sometimes willing to comply with hand hygiene and other preventive measures but lack the resources to do so.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors affecting hand hygiene practice during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Zimbabwean population: a qualitative study

Midzi,

Mutsaka-Makuvaza,

Charimari

et al. 2024

BMC Infect Dis

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Background Practicing hand hygiene is recommended as one of the key preventive measures for reducing the transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious agents. However, it is often not practiced frequently enough or correctly by the public. We aimed to identify barriers to and facilitators of hand hygiene in the Zimbabwean population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A qualitative study was conducted with a purposive sample of health workers, village health workers, church leaders, traditional healers, teachers, youth leaders and the general population selected from ten districts across the country from September to October 2022. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 3 key informant interviews per site. In addition, one homogenous focus group discussion was also conducted per site using a focus group discussion guide. The data were recorded on audiotapes, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. All the analyses were performed manually using thematic analysis. Results Two themes were identified as facilitators of hand hygiene. These include individual factors (knowledge of hand hygiene practices and how they are performed) and access-related factors (access to hand washing infrastructure, soap, and sanitizers). Among the barriers to hand hygiene, four themes were identified: individual factors (knowledge gaps in proper hand washing, lack of conviction about hand hygiene, and habitual behaviour), access-related factors (lack of access to hand washing infrastructure, soap, and sanitizers), safety concerns (concern about the side effects of sanitizers), and sociocultural and religious factors (social customs, cultural beliefs, values, and religious practices). Conclusion During public health emergencies, there is a need for people to access uninterrupted, on-premises water supplies to promote compliance with hand hygiene. The provision of clean water and hand washing facilities is critical for vulnerable communities to afford them the opportunity to improve quality of life and facilitate resilience in the event of future pandemics. Community engagement is important for identifying vulnerability factors to provide appropriate mitigatory measures.

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“…It means that in the periods of Wave 1 and Wave 2, the findings of Piped_water agree with one study in Brazil in 2020 [ 59 ]. Undeniably, insufficient or unreliable water supply can aggravate poor sanitation, discourage hygiene practices and spread diseases in densely populated areas [ 69 ]. On the other hand, the opposite effects of Pop_65 in different temporal periods might suggest that the elderly population is probably more willing to adhere to preventive measures after they become aware of the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation in Sarawak in the first half of 2021.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploration of spatiotemporal heterogeneity and socio-demographic determinants on COVID-19 incidence rates in Sarawak, Malaysia

et al. 2023

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Background In Sarawak, 252 300 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases have been recorded with 1 619 fatalities in 2021, compared to only 1 117 cases in 2020. Since Sarawak is geographically separated from Peninsular Malaysia and half of its population resides in rural districts where medical resources are limited, the analysis of spatiotemporal heterogeneity of disease incidence rates and their relationship with socio-demographic factors are crucial in understanding the spread of the disease in Sarawak. Methods The spatial dependence of district-wise incidence rates is investigated using spatial autocorrelation analysis with two orders of contiguity weights for various pandemic waves. Nine determinants are chosen from 14 covariates of socio-demographic factors via elastic net regression and recursive partitioning. The relationships between incidence rates and socio-demographic factors are examined using ordinary least squares, spatial lag and spatial error models, and geographically weighted regression. Results In the first 8 months of 2021, COVID-19 severely affected Sarawak’s central region, which was followed by the southern region in the next 2 months. In the third wave, based on second-order spatial weights, the incidence rate in a district is most strongly influenced by its neighboring districts’ rate, although the variance of incidence rates is best explained by local regression coefficient estimates of socio-demographic factors in the first wave. It is discovered that the percentage of households with garbage collection facilities, population density and the proportion of male in the population are positively associated with the increase in COVID-19 incidence rates. Conclusion This research provides useful insights for the State Government and public health authorities to critically incorporate socio-demographic characteristics of local communities into evidence-based decision-making for altering disease monitoring and response plans. Policymakers can make well-informed judgments and implement targeted interventions by having an in-depth understanding of the spatial patterns and relationships between COVID-19 incidence rates and socio-demographic characteristics. This will effectively help in mitigating the spread of the disease.

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Water use behaviors and water access in intermittent and continuous water supply areas during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 9 publications

References 22 publications

Recommendations for hand hygiene in community settings: a scoping review of current international guidelines

Recommendations for hand hygiene in community settings: a scoping review of current international guidelines

Factors affecting hand hygiene practice during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Zimbabwean population: a qualitative study

Exploration of spatiotemporal heterogeneity and socio-demographic determinants on COVID-19 incidence rates in Sarawak, Malaysia

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