Assessment of Socio-Demographic Factors, Mother and Child Health Status, Water, Sanitation, and Hygienic Conditions Existing in a Hilly Rural Village of Nepal

Abstract

In many low income developing countries, socioeconomic, environmental and demographic factors have been linked to around half of the disease related deaths that occur each year. The aim of this study is to investigate the sociodemographic factors, mother and child health status, water, sanitation, and hygienic conditions of a Nepalese community residing in a hilly rural village, and to identify factors associated with mother and child health status and the occurrence of diarrheal and febrile disease. A community-based cross-sectional survey was carried out and 315 households from the village of Narjamandap were included in this study. Factors associated with diarrhea, febrile disease, and full maternal and under-five immunizations were assessed using logistic regression. Results showed that higher education level (middle school versus primary education; Odds Ratio (OR): 0.55, p = 0.04; high school versus primary education; OR 0.21, p = 0.001) and having a toilet facility at home were significantly associated with a lower risk of developing diarrhea and febrile disease (OR 0.49, p = 0.01), while, interestingly, the use of improved water supply was associated with higher risk (OR 3.07, p = 0.005). In terms of maternal immunization, the odds of receiving a tetanus toxoid vaccination were higher in women who had regular antenatal checkups (OR 12.9, p < 0.001), and in those who developed complications during pregnancy (OR 4.54, p = 0.04); for under-five immunization, the odds of receiving full vaccination were higher among children from households that reported diarrhea (OR 2.76, p < 0.001). The findings of this study indicated that gaps still exist in the mother and child healthcare being provided, in terms of receiving antenatal checkups and basic immunizations, as evidenced by irregular antenatal checkups, incomplete and zero vaccination cases, and higher under-five deaths. Specific public health interventions to promote maternal health and the health of under-five children are suggested.

The improved and the unimproved: Factors influencing sanitation and diarrhoea in a peri-urban settlement of Lusaka, Zambia

“…With their normalcy, an analysis of chamber use could show chamber impacts and expose barriers to toilet use in the periurban. Lastly, household diarrhoea prevalence was assessed as per previous studies: any household member having 3 or more watery stools within 24 hours in the last 2 weeks [14][15][16]. This information was also collected to gauge the relationship between peri-urban health (diarrhoea prevalence) and sanitation.…”

Pregnant women’s experiences with a pelvic floor muscle training program in Nepal

“…Surgical camps in Nepal have however received criticism related to lack of postoperative follow-up and limited available resources for providing quality health services which have resulted in health complications [ 23–25 ]. An additional problem post surgically is the common lack of access to adequate hygiene facilities in the home setting c.f [ 26 ].…”

Impacto de la eficiencia en la gestión de la política educativa en salud integral de Lima Metropolitana

“…Los factores sociodemográficos influyen en la calidad de vida de la población e influyen en el estado se salud de la madre y el niño, la falta de saneamiento y las condiciones higiénicas provocarán enfermedades diarreicas como ocurre en una comunidad de Nepal ubicada en una zona montañosa la importancia de contar con retretes en las viviendas y una adecuada educación y promoción de la salud disminuyen en el riesgo de diarrea y enfermedades de los estudiantes de educación inicial y primaria. (Bhandari, 2019).…”