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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
environmental science
Child undernutrition in households with microbiologically safer drinking water and 'improved water' in Tanna, Vanuatu
Journal of Water and Health, Volume 18, No. 3, Year 2020
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Description
The Sustainable Development Goal drinking water indicators include microbiological safety measures, whereas the Millennium Development Goal indicator 'improved water' may be microbiologically unsafe. In rural Vanuatu, we undertook household surveys, child anthropometry, and tested stored drinking water, to investigate relationships between water and undernutrition. Using Escherichia coli most probable number, we categorized results according to Compartment Bag Test drinking water cutoffs: <1/100 mL (safe), 1-10/100 mL (intermediate risk), >10-100/100 mL (high risk), and >100/100 mL (very high risk). Of 201 households, 191 (95%) had microbiologically unsafe drinking water, regardless of 'improved' status. We investigated cross-sectional associations between households with microbiologically safer drinking water (<10 E. coli/100 mL) versus 'improved water' and undernutrition among children. Of children under 5, 145 (48.8%, 95% CI: 42.8, 54.8) were stunted and 59 (19.1%, 95% CI: 14.4, 23.8) were underweight. Among households with 'improved water', the adjusted prevalence ratio (95% CI) of stunting was 0.61 (0.46, 0.80) and underweight was 0.46 (0.29, 0.73) compared with 'unimproved water'. However, we found no association between having drinking water with <10 E. coli/100 mL at one point in time and undernutrition. Longer-term variations in water quality and unmeasured conditions beyond water may have contributed to these associations. © IWA Publishing 2020 Journal of Water and Health
Authors & Co-Authors
Houghton, Lisa A.
New Zealand, Dunedin
University of Otago
Sharples, Katrina J.
New Zealand, Dunedin
University of Otago
Crump, John A.
New Zealand, Dunedin
University of Otago
Statistics
Citations: 2
Authors: 3
Affiliations: 2
Identifiers
Doi:
10.2166/wh.2020.262
ISSN:
14778920
Research Areas
Environmental
Food Security
Maternal And Child Health
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study