Household sanitation and personal hygiene practices are associated with child stunting in rural India : a cross-sectional analysis of surveys
Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMJ
Abstract
Policies and programming aimed at addressing child stunting should encompass water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, shifting emphasis from nutrition-specific to nutrition-sensitive programming. Compared with open defecation, household access to a toilet facility was associated with 16–39% reduced odds of stunting among children aged 0–23 months. Household access to improved water supply was not in itself associated with stunting. The caregiver's self-reported practices of washing hands with soap before meals or after defecation were inversely associated with child stunting. However, the inverse association between reported personal hygiene practices and stunting was stronger among households with access to toilet facilities or piped water.
Description
item.page.type
Journal Article (peer-reviewed)
item.page.format
Keywords
CHILD DEVELOPMENT, SANITATION, WATER QUALITY, INDIA, RURAL COMMUNITIES, LATRINES, DEFAECATION, WATER REQUIREMENTS, BASIC NEEDS, HYGIENE, MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
Citation
Rah, J.H., Cronin, A.A., Badgaiyan, B., Aguayo, V.M., Coates, S., & Ahmed, S. (2015). Household sanitation and personal hygiene practices are associated with child stunting in rural India: a cross-sectional analysis of surveys. BMJ Open, 5, e005180. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005180