Sanitation-hygiene Knowledge, Practices and Human Health Impacts: Insights from Coastal Bangladesh

  • Md. Shohel Khan Department of Environmental Science and Disaster Management, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali 3814, Bangladesh and Institute of Bangladesh Studies, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh
  • Shitangsu Kumar Paul Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh

Abstract

Better sanitation and hygiene are very significant for sound health for human lives and it protects various water borne disease. This study aims to find sanitation-hygiene knowledge, practices and impacts on human health of coastal Bangladesh. Rajoir (Sarankhola), Gangarampur (Batiaghata) and Ganapatipur (Kalaroa) villages are purposively designated from shoreline, interim and inland coast. Data are collected with semi-structured questionnaire between July-October 2022 and analyzed through SPSS and map is produced with Arc GIS.  Overall about 9.6, 36.3 and 54.1% respondents have good, moderate and poor knowledge regarding sanitation and hygiene. Overall about 57% respondents have accessed sanitary latrines. About 67% respondents claimed that their children deface are thrown in the toilet, followed by, around the house (16%). About 70, 83 and 84% respondents wash their hands with soap/handwash after defecation in shoreline, interim and inland area, followed by, 34, 35 and 27% before taking meal; 19, 19 and 4% before cooking; 9, 21 and 16% after household chores. Cleanliness index are categorized into satisfactory levels except water containers for shoreline (0.677) and inland (0.718) areas. About 96% (shoreline), 91% (interim) and 95% (inland) respondents claim women play a direct role during collection of water. Based on sanitation inspection tool, overall 6, 41, 47 and 3% tube-wells are grouped into very high, high, intermediate and low risk categories. About 57% (shoreline), 48% (interim) and 36% (inland) water sources are grouped into ‘high’s category. The study suggest to formate management committee to monitor proper sanitation and hygiene systems.


Keywords : Coastal area; human health; cleanliness; sanitary inspection tool


 


Copyright (c) 2023 Geosfera Indonesia and Department of Geography Education, University of Jember


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share A like 4.0 International License

References

Abanyie, S.K., Ampadu, B., Frimpong, N.A., & Amuah, E.E.Y. (2023). Impact of improved water supply on livelihood and health: Emphasis on Doba and Nayagnia, Ghana. Innovation and Green Development, 2: 100033, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.igd.2023.100033.

Abedin, M. A., Collins, A.E., Habiba, U., & Shaw, R. (2019). Climate change, water scarcity, and health adaptation in southwestern coastal Bangladesh. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. 10:28-42, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13753-018-0211-8.

Ahmed, B., Orcutt, M., Sammonds, P., Burns, R., Issa, R., Abubakar, I., & Devakumar, D. (2018). Humanitarian disaster for Rohingya refugees: impending natural hazards and worsening public health crises. The Lancet Global Health, 6(5): e487–e488. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30125-6.

Aiello, A.E., Coulborn, R.M., Perez, V., & Larson, E.L. (2008). Effect of hand hygiene on infectious disease risk in the community setting: a meta-analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 98(8): 1372-81. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2007.124610.

Akter, M., Khan, M., Beg, T.H., & Saker, M.M.R. (2022). Determinants of adapted improved sanitation in rural and urban of Bangladesh and Pakistan. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, 40(9): 398-410.

Banda, K., Sarkar, R., Gopal, S., Govindarajan, J., Harijan, B.B., Jeyakumar, M.B., Mitta, P., Sadanala, M.E., Selwyn, T., Suresh, C.R., Thomas, V.A., Devadason, P., Kumar, R., Selvapandian, D., Kang, G., & Balraj, V. (2007). Water handling, sanitation and defecation practices in rural southern India: a knowledge, attitudes and practices study. Trans-actions of the royal society of tropical medicine and hygiene, 101(11): 1124-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trstmh.2007.05.004.

Banglapedia (2021a). Sarankhola Upazila, The national encyclopedia of Bangladesh, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Retrieved from https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Sarankhola_Upazila.

Banglapedia (2021b). Batiaghata Upazila, The national encyclopedia of Bangladesh, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Retrieved from https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Batiaghata_Upazila.

Banglapedia (2021c). Kalaroa Upazila, The national encyclopedia of Bangladesh, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Retrieved from https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Kalaroa_Upazila.

BBS (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics) (2022). Population and Housing Census 2022, Preliminary Report. Statistics and Informatics Division, Ministry of Planning, Bangladesh. Retrieved from http://www.bbs.gov.bd/site/page/47856ad0-7e1c-4aab-bd78-892733bc06eb/Population-and-Housing-Census, Accessed 11 April 2023.

BBS (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics). (2011a). Population and Housing Census 2011, Community Report, Satkhira Zila. Statistics and Informatics Division, Ministry of Planning, Bangladesh.

BBS (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics). (2011b). Population and Housing Census 2011, Community Report, Khulna Zila. Statistics and Informatics Division, Ministry of Planning, Bangladesh.

BBS (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics). (2011c). Population and Housing Census 2011, Community Report, Bagerhat Zila. Statistics and Informatics Division, Ministry of Planning, Bangladesh.

Begum, M., Morshed, M.S., Islam, R., & Nisa, M.M.I. (2023). Household water, sanitation, hygiene facilities and practices in selected villages of Taraganj Upazilla, Rangpur. Journal of Rangpur Medical College, 8(2): 53-58. https://doi.org/10.3329/jrpmc.v8i1.65060.

Biswas, S.S., & Karmakar, R. (2022). Determinants of hand-hygiene practices in India: reflections from the 76th round National Sample Survey, 2018. Journal of Water and Health, 20(1): 68-82.

Chatterjee, S., Roy, M.N., Banerjee, K., Mojumder, S., & Osbert, N. (2022). Understanding the gap between knowledge and practice of handwashing in rural India: evidence from a cross-sectional study. J Water Health, 20(12): 1701-20. https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2022.129.

Cousins, S. (2018). Rohingya threatened by infectious diseases. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 18(6): 609-610. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30304-9.

Curtis, V.A., Danquah, L.O., Aunger, & R.V. (2009). Planned, motivated and habitual hygiene behavior: an eleven-country review. Health Education Research, 24(4): 655–73.

Ercumen, A., Naser, A.M., Arnold, B.F., Unicomb, L., Colford, J.M., & Luby, S.P. (2017). Can sanitary inspection surveys predict risk of microbiological contamination of groundwater sources? Evidence from shallow tube wells in rural Bangladesh. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 96(3): 561-568. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.16-0489.

Esrey, S.A., Potash, J.B., Roberts, L., & Shiff, C. (1991). Effects of improved water supply and sanitation on ascariasis, diarrhoea, dracunculiasis, hookworm infection, schistosomiasis, and trachoma. Bull. World Health Organization. 69: 609-621.

Freeman, M.C., Stocks, M.E., Cumming, O., Jeandron, A., Higgins, J.P.T., Wolf, J., Pruss-Ustun, A. Bonjour, S., Hunter, P.R., Fewtrell, L., & Curtis, V. (2014). Hygiene and health: systematic review of handwashing practices worldwide and update of health effects. Tropical Medicine and International Health, 19(8): 906-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.12339.

Godfrey, S., Timo, F., & Smith, M. (2006). Microbiological risk assessment and management of shallow groundwater sources in Lichinga, Mozambique. Water and Environment Journal, 20:194-202. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-6593.2006.00040.x.

Greenland, K., Cairncross, S., Cumming, O., & Curtis, V. (2013). Can we afford to overlook hand hygiene again? Tropical Medicine and International Health, 18(3): 246-249. https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.12055.

Halder, A.K., Tronchet, C., Akhter, S., Bhuiya, A., Johnston, R., & Luby, S.P. (2010). Observed hand cleanliness and other measures of handwashing behavior in rural Bangladesh. BMC public health, 10(1): 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-545.

Hossain, M.N., & Paul, S.K. (2018). Vulnerability factors and effectiveness of disaster mitigation measures in the Bangladesh coast. Earth Systems and Environment, 2:55-65, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-018-0034-1.

Hossain, M.R., Khan, M.S., Islam, M.A., & Hasan, M. (2022). Pond sand filter as an alternative system for purifying drinking water: climate change perspective in Mongla, Bangladesh. International Journal of Energy and Water Resources, 6: 243-252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42108-021-00172-y.

Hoque, B.A. (2003). Handwashing Practices and Challenges in Bangladesh. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 13 (1): 81-87. https://doi.org/10.1080/0960312031000102831.

Hsan, K., Naher, S., Grifiths, M.D., Shamol, H.H., & Rajman, M.A. (2019). Factors associated with the practice of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) among the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 9(4): 794-800. https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2019.038.

Hunter, P.R., MacDonalds, A.M., & Carter, R.C. (2010). Water supply and health. PLOS Medicine, 7(11): 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000361.

Imtiaz, K.S., Begum, K., Begum, N., Naureen, S., Barua, J., Faruque, J., & Khalid, A.R. (2014). Practice of personal hygiene among rural women of a selected community in Bangladesh. Northern International Medical College Journal, 6(1): 29-32.

Islam, M.A., Sakakibara, H., Karim, M.R., & Sekine, M. (2013). Potable water scarcity: options and issues in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Journal of Water and Health, 11(3): 532-542. https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2013.215.

Jamison, D.T., Breman, J.G., Measham, A.R., Alleyne, G., Claeson, M., Evans, D.B., & Musgrove, P. (2006). Disease control priorities in developing countries. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development /World Bank, New York; Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

Jenkins, M.W., Anand, A.R., Revell, G., & Sobsey, M.D. (2013). Opportunities to improve domestic hygiene practices through new enabling products: a study of handwashing practices and equipment in rural Cambodia. International Health, 5(4): 295-301. https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/iht026.

Joshi, A., Prasad, S., Kasav, J.B., Segan, M., & Singh, A.K. (2013). Water and sanitation hygiene knowledge attitude practice in urban slum settings. Global Journal of Health Science, 6(2): 23-34. https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v6n2p23.

Jubayer, A., Islam, M.H., Nowar, A., & Islam, S. (2022). Exploring household water, sanitation, and hygiene and acute diarrhea among children in St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 107(2): 441-448, https://doi:10.4269/ajtmh.22-001.

Kabir, A., Roy, S., Begum, K., Kabir, A.H., & Miah, M.S. (2021). Factors influencing sanitation and hygiene practices among students in a public university in Bangladesh. PLoS ONE, 16(9), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257663.

Kelly, E., Cronk, R., Fisher, M., & Bartram, J. (2021). Sanitary inspection, microbial water quality analysis, and water safety in handpumps in rural sub-Saharan Africa. NPJ Clean Water, 4(3): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-020-00093-z.

Khan, M.S. (2022). Assessment of physio-chemical properties of ground water in the south western coastal zone of Bangladesh. Management of Sustainable Development Journal, 14(2): 46-51, https://doi.org/10.54989/msd-2022-0016.

Khan, M.S., & Paul, S.K. (2023). Groundwater quality assessment and health issues in the coastal zone of Bangladesh. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 10: 100278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2023.100278.

Kothari, C.R. (2004). Research methodology: methods and techniques (2nd ed.). New Delhi: New Age International Limited.

Kwong, L.H., Ercumen, A., Pickering, A.J., Unicomb, L., Davis, J., & Luby, S.P. (2016). Hand-and object mouthing of rural Bangladeshi children 3-18 months old. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(6):563. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13060563.

LGED. (2019). Local Government Engineering Department, The People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Retrieved from https://oldweb.lged.gov.bd/ViewMap.aspx.

Luby, S.P., Agobatwalla, M., Feikin, D.R., Painter, J., Billhimer, W., Altaf, A., & Hoekstra, R.M. (2005). Effect of hand washing in child health. Lancet. 366: 225-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66912-7.

Luby, S.P., Gupta, S.K., Sheikh, M.A., Johnston, R.B., Ram, P.K., & Islam, M.S. (2008). Tube well water quality and predictors of contamination in three flood-prone areas in Bangladesh. Applied Microbiology, 105: 1002-1008.

Motoshita, M., Istsubo, N., & Inaba, A. (2011). Development of impact factors on damage to health by infectious diseases caused by domestic scarcity. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 16(1): 65-73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-010-0236-8.

Mushi, D., Byamukama, D., Kirschner, A.K., Mach, R.L., Brunner, K., & Farnleitner, A.H. (2012). Sanitary inspection of wells using risk-of-contamination scoring indicates a high predictive ability for bacterial fecal pollution in the peri-urban tropical lowlands of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. J Water Health. 10(2): 236-43. https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2012.117.

Parker, A.H., Youlten, R., Dillon, M., Nussbaumer, T., Carter, R.C., Tyrrel, S.F., Webster, J. (2010). An assessment of microbiological water quality of six water source categories in north-east Uganda. Journal of Water and Health, 8(3):550-560. https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2010.128.

Paul, S.K. (2019). Post cyclone household food security in coastal Bangladesh. Khatun, H., Baquee, A.B., Kabir, H. (Ed.), People at risk: disaster and despair, Disaster Research Training and Management Centre, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. 185-209.

Phillips, R.M., Vujcic, J., Boscoe, A., Handzel, T., Aninyasi, M., Cookson, S.T., Blanton, C., Blum, L.S., & Ram, P.K. (2015). Soap is not enough: handwashing practices and knowledge in refugee camps, Maban County, South Sudan. Conflict and Health, 9(1): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-015-0065-2.

Rabbi, S.E., & Dey, N.C. (2013). Exploring the gap between hand washing knowledge and practices in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional comparative study. BMC Public Health, 13(1): 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-89.

Snoad, C., Nagel, C., Bhattacharya, A., & Thomas, E. (2017). The effectiveness of sanitary inspections as a risk assessment tool for thermotolerant coliform bacteria contamination of rural drinking water: a review of data from West Bengal, India. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 96(4): 976-983. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.16-0322.

UNICEF. (2015). Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/statistics/index_24302.html.

Vaccari, M., Collivignarelli, C., Tharnpoophasiam, P., & Vitali, F. (2004). Well sanitary inspection and water quality monitoring in Ban Nam Khem (Thailand) 30 months after 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 161(1-4): 123-133. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0732-5.

Walker, C.L.F., Perin, J., Aryee, M.J., Boschi-Pinto, C., & Black, R.E. (2012). Diarrhea incidence in low-and middle-income countries in 1990 and 2010: a systematic review. BMC public health, 12(1): 220. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-220.

White, S., Thorseth, A.H., Dreibelbis, R., & Curtis, V. (2020). The determinants of handwashing behaviour in domestic settings: an integrative systematic review. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 227, 113512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113512.

WHO (2004). Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Facts and Figures (updated November 2004). WHO, Geneva. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/water sanitation health/publications /factsfigures04/en.

WHO (World Health Organization) & UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund). (1990). Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation. Retrieved from http://www.wssinfo. org/en/ 122_definitions.html.

WHO (World Health Organization). (1997). Guidelines for drinking water quality, surveillance and control of community supplies. 2nd ed. vol. 3. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

WHO (World Health Organization). (2021). Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2020: five years into the SDGs. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

WHO & UNICEF (2017). Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2017/launch-version-report-jmp-water-sanitation-hygiene.pdf .

WHO. (2019). Safe water, better health. World Health Organization.

Wolf, J., Hubbard, S., Brauer, M., Ambelu, A., Arnold, B. F., Bain, R., & Boisson, S. (2022). Effectiveness of interventions to improve drinking water, sanitation, and handwashing with soap on risk of diarrhoeal disease in children in low-income and middle-income settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet, 400 (10345): 48-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00937-0.

Zeitlyn, S., & Islam, F. (1991). The use of soap and water in two Bangladeshi communities: implications for the transmission of diarrhea. Reviews of Infectious Diseases, 13: S259–S264.
Published
2023-08-29
How to Cite
KHAN, Md. Shohel; PAUL, Shitangsu Kumar. Sanitation-hygiene Knowledge, Practices and Human Health Impacts: Insights from Coastal Bangladesh. Geosfera Indonesia, [S.l.], v. 8, n. 2, p. 133-151, aug. 2023. ISSN 2614-8528. Available at: <https://jurnal.unej.ac.id/index.php/GEOSI/article/view/39584>. Date accessed: 24 nov. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.19184/geosi.v8i2.39584.
Section
Original Research Articles