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

Pratibha Bhandari, JeongEun Bak, Kang-Sung Lee, Yun Chon, Anuj Bhattachan, Pradip Rimal, Biswo Ram Shrestha, Binayak Bhandari, Jeong-Ook Moon, Namkyu Wu, Won-Shik Chu, Chul-Ki Song, Caroline S. Lee, Vittal Mogasale and Sung-Hoon Ahn
Additional contact information
Pratibha Bhandari: Department of Nursing, College of Health & Welfare, Woosong University, Daejeon 300718, Korea
JeongEun Bak: International Vaccine Institute, Seoul 08826, Korea
Kang-Sung Lee: International Vaccine Institute, Seoul 08826, Korea
Yun Chon: International Vaccine Institute, Seoul 08826, Korea
Anuj Bhattachan: International Vaccine Institute, Seoul 08826, Korea
Pradip Rimal: Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Department of Health Services, Teku, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Biswo Ram Shrestha: District Public Health Office, Nuwakot 44900, Nepal
Binayak Bhandari: Department of Railroad Integrated System Engineering, Woosong University, Daejeon 300718, Korea
Jeong-Ook Moon: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Namkyu Wu: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Won-Shik Chu: Department of Mechanical Convergence Engineering, Gyeongsang National University, Changwon 51390, Korea
Chul-Ki Song: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea
Caroline S. Lee: Department of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea
Vittal Mogasale: International Vaccine Institute, Seoul 08826, Korea
Sung-Hoon Ahn: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-12

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.

Keywords: socio-demographic; mother and child health; water; sanitation; hygiene; immunization; social network; Nepal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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