Title: Can improvements in water supply reduce childhood diarrhoea?

POPLINE Document Number: 075850

Author(s):

Tonglet R
Isu K
Mpese M
Dramaix M
Hennart P

Source citation:

HEALTH POLICY AND PLANNING, 1992 Sep;7(3):260-8.

Abstract:

In 1987, health workers followed 1096 <4-year old children from 3 villages in Kirotshe district, Northern Kivu Province, Zaire for 1 year to determine whether installation of piped water in 2 of the villages effected a reduction in the incidence of diarrhea and whether the reduction was subject to water use. The annual number of days of diarrhea/child was 20 days (based on 2-week incidence) and 19 days (based on 1-day prevalence). 57% of the children considered to be facility users based on a distance =or< 5 minutes walk lived in households who had a high water demand (=or> 501). 78% lived >5 minute walk from households with a low demand for water (<501). the median attack rate of diarrhea for children living in the control village and those living >5 minutes walk from the public standpipe was 2.2 episodes/child/year, but fell to 1 episode/child/year for children living =or< 5 minute walk from the public standpipe (p<.001). In the intervention villages, the median attack rate of diarrhea for children living in households using <501 of water daily equaled 2.4 episodes/child/year compared with 1 episode/child/year for children living in households using =or> 501 of water daily (p<.001). Diarrhea incidence was negatively associated with maternal education (p<.05), housing quality (p<.01), and household size (p<.01). On the other hand, =or> 5 minute walk to a standpipe and household water use of =or> 501/day were positively associated with these same factors (p<.01). Accessibility to public standpipes was better for the limited, well educated people living in the best quality housing who also lived along the main road where the public standpipes were. Yet they were already the least exposed group. Women and children were more likely to get water from the closest water source rather than the safest water source. Thus planners must consider water-related behavior of the target population.

Keywords:

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Methodological Studies
Cohort Analysis
Incidence
Water Supply
Diarrhea
Program Accessibility
Distance
Behavior
Educational Status
Mothers
Family Size
Housing
Planning Methodology
Rural Population
Prevention and Control
Africa, Central
Africa, Sub Saharan
Africa
Developing Countries
Research Methodology
Measurement
Natural Resources
Environment
Diseases
Program Evaluation
Programs
Organization and Administration
Geographic Factors
Population
Socioeconomic Status
Socioeconomic Factors
Economic Factors
Parents
Family Relationships
Family Characteristics
Family and Household
Residence Characteristics
Population Distribution
Planning
Population Characteristics
Demographic Factors