SEARCHCROSS-SECTIONALpublic health, epidemiology

cross-sectional·public health, epidemiology, pediatrics, gastroenterology, family medicine·PMC10605691

Hygienic Disposal of Children’s Stools Practices Among Women of Children With Diarrhoea in Sub-Saharan Africa

Environmental Health Insights · 5 authors, 6 centres

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TL;DR

This cross-sectional study analyzed DHS data from 16 sub-Saharan African countries to find that the prevalence of mothers hygienically disposing of their child's diarrhoeal stool was 49.01%. Various individual and household factors, such as a mother's age, partner's education, religion, marital status, wealth, and access to improved water and toilet facilities, were significantly associated with the practice.

Full summary

292 CHARS

Using multilevel binary logistic regression, the research assessed the prevalence and correlates of hygienic stool disposal for children with diarrhoea. The overall prevalence of hygienic disposal was 49.01%, with significant country-level variation from 15.70% in Liberia to 86.6% in Rwanda.

STUDY TYPE

cross-sectional

SPECIALTY

public health

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AI pipeline

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100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10605691

Hygienic Disposal of Children’s Stools Practices Among Women of Children With Diarrhoea in Sub-Saharan Africa

Environmental Health Insights

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ABSTRACT

Background: Diarrhoea stools contain infectious agents and pose a public health threat to children and members of the entire family when exposed to them. Therefore, their hygienic disposal is essential. Empirical data are needed to stir the needed public health interventions to encourage or enforce proper disposal practices to curb associated clinical issues. This study assessed the prevalence and correlates of hygienic stool disposal practices by mothers of children with diarrhoea in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods: The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data of 16 sub-Saharan African countries from 2015 to 2021 involving 22 590 mother-child pairs were analysed. Multilevel binary logistic analysis was conducted to assess the individual- and household-level factors associated with the hygienic disposal of stool practices by mothers of children with diarrhoea. The results were presented using adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) at a statistical significance of P < .05. Results: The overall prevalence of hygienic disposal of children’s stools among women of children with diarrhoea was 49.01% (95% CI: 48.40-49.62) and ranged from 15.70% in Liberia to 86.6% in Rwanda. The practice of hygienic disposal of stools of children with diarrhoea was likely to increase among mothers who are working (AOR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.09-1.30), those with partners with primary level of education (AOR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.06-1.31), Muslims (AOR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.49-1.91) and widowed/divorced (AOR: 8.94, 95% CI: 3.55-22.53). Again, mothers in the richer (AOR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.08-1.39) wealth index had increased odds of disposing of stools hygienically compared to those in the poorest wealth index. Women who were 20 years and above, to who belonged to Traditional Religions (AOR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.43-0.74), and those with unimproved sources of water (AOR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.82-0.98) and toilet facilities (AOR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.58-0.69) were less likely to dispose of child’s diarrhoea stool hygienically than their counterparts. Conclusion: The study reveals that the unhygienic disposal of the stool of children with diarrhoea is prevalent in SSA and requires a concerted effort to curb it. Sanitation practices such as educating mothers about hygienic disposal of children’s stool and improving water and sanitation facilities are crucial in lowering the high prevalence of unhygienic disposal of the diarrhoeic stool of children. Additional country-level research is needed to assess children’s defecation behaviours and the disposal of diarrhoeic stools using different methodologies.

CITATION EXPORT

Mainprice Akuoko Essuman, Rebecca Peniel Storph, Bright Opoku Ahinkorah et al.. Hygienic Disposal of Children’s Stools Practices Among Women of Children With Diarrhoea in Sub-Saharan Africa. Environmental Health Insights. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1177/11786302231204764

AUTHORS

5 · 6 CENTRES

Mainprice Akuoko Essuman, Rebecca Peniel Storph, Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, Eugene Budu, Sanni Yaya

1Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Central, Ghana
2Laboratory Department, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Cape Coast, Ghana
3School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
4Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana
5School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
6The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, London, UK