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Soe TK, Laohasiriwong W, Sornlorm K, Mahato RK. Safely managed sanitation practice and childhood stunting among under five years old children in Myanmar. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290600. [PMID: 37983207 PMCID: PMC10659194 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In 2020, 149 million children under the age of five were estimated to be stunted globally. Around half of deaths among children under 5 years of age are related to under-nutrition. Objective of this study is to determine the association between safely managed sanitation and childhood stunting among under-five years old children in Myanmar. This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in 16 townships across three regions and five states in Myanmar. Multiple logistic regressions analysis was performed to determine the associations. This study found that 327 (27.09%) under-five children were stunted among a total of 1207 children in Myanmar. Children with unsafely managed sanitation were 2.88 times more likely to be stunting compared with children who access to safely managed sanitation services (AOR = 2.88, 95% CI: 2.16 to 3.85; p-value <0.01). Other associated factors for childhood stunting were needs 1-15 minutes for water collection (AOR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.46 to 2.94; p-value <0.01), 15-60 minutes for water collection times (AOR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.23; p-value 0.02), improper waste water disposal (AOR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.47 to 2.70; p-value <0.01), boys children (AOR = 4.49, 95% CI: 3.30 to 6.12; p-value <0.01), did not take vitamin A supplements(AOR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.22 to 2.20; p-value <0.01), mothers height shorter than 153.4cm (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.45 to 2.58; p-value <0.01), and the lower minimal diet diversity (AOR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.01; p-value 0.02). More access to safely managed sanitation facilities, technical sharing for proper waste water disposal, promoting household water supply system, health promotion for children's diet eating pattern, and regular support for Vitamin A supplementation are critical to reduce childhood stunting among children under the age of five in Myanmar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Than Kyaw Soe
- Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
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Som SV, Wieringa FT, Campos Ponce M, Polman K, Dakurah P, Duncan D, Blomberg J, Rasphone S, Hoeven MVD. Association of both Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices with childhood malnutrition in Lao PDR: a cross-sectional study of the 2017 Lao Social Indicator Survey II. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e073974. [PMID: 37832981 PMCID: PMC10582958 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We assessed whether Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), either alone or combined, were associated with malnutrition among Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) children aged 6 to <24 months. DESIGN This is a secondary analysis of the 2017 Lao Social Indicator Survey II (LSIS II), which used multistage probability proportional to size sampling. Logistic regression analyses were conducted with OR and its corresponding 95% CI. SETTING The LSIS II was conducted a nationwide household-based survey covering all 18 provinces in Lao PDR. PARTICIPANTS We had a total of 3375 children (weighted sample 3345) and 357 households with data on drinking water. OUTCOME MEASURES The outcomes of this study were stunting and wasting. RESULTS The prevalence of stunting and wasting was 28.9% and 10.1%, respectively. Even though households with access to a basic or improved water source were high (82.5%), over 83% of drinking water was contaminated with Escherichia coli. Access to improved sanitation, basic hygiene and adequate IYCF gave a significant lower risk of becoming stunted. The combined effect of these practices on stunting was (adjusted OR (AOR)=0.54; 95% CI=0.41 to 0.73) greater than each practice alone (improved sanitation: AOR=0.75; 95% CI=0.61 to 0.93; basic hygiene: AOR=0.69; 95% CI=0.57 to 0.83; adequate IYCF: AOR=0.79; 95% CI=0.64 to 0.98). Access to improved sanitation and adequate IYCF was associated with a significant lower risk for being wasted, and again the combined effect of these practices was (AOR=0.64; 95% CI=0.44 to 0.92) greater than each practice alone (improved sanitation: AOR=0.68; 95% CI=0.49 to 0.93 and adequate IYCF: AOR=0.66; 95% CI=0.47 to 0.92). CONCLUSION Given the strong associations with both stunting and wasting, and the added benefits when combining WASH and IYCF, there is a need of multisectoral interventions to reduce early childhood malnutrition in Lao PDR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somphos Vicheth Som
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frank T Wieringa
- UMR QualiSud, French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, Montpellier, France
| | - Maiza Campos Ponce
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Katja Polman
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Prosper Dakurah
- United Nations Children's Emergency Fund Lao PDR, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - David Duncan
- United Nations Children's Emergency Fund Lao PDR, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Janneke Blomberg
- United Nations Children's Emergency Fund Lao PDR, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Sitthorot Rasphone
- The Ministry of Planning and Investment's National Economic Research Institute, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Marinka van der Hoeven
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Torgby-Tetteh W, Krishnamoorthy S, Buys EM. Exploration of Infant Food Microbial Composition from Formal and Informal Settings Using Viable Counts and 16S rRNA Gene Amplicon Sequencing in Johannesburg, South Africa. Foods 2023; 12:3596. [PMID: 37835249 PMCID: PMC10572494 DOI: 10.3390/foods12193596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Diarrhoea is a considerable agent of disease and loss of life in children below age five in South Africa. Soweto, South Africa is an urban township in Johannesburg, with most of its population living in informal settlements. Informal settlements in areas such as Soweto are often impoverished communities that do not get water easily, inadequate sanitation is pervasive, and poor hygiene common (risk factors for diarrhoeal diseases). Among the age groups, infants are most vulnerable to diarrhoeal infection, mainly through the ingestion of food and water. The presence of undesirable microbiota is a food safety and health challenge. This study investigated the microbiome of infant food samples collected from formal (n = 19) and informal (n = 11) households in Soweto. A non-culture-dependent technique was used to characterise the bacterial diversity and composition of the infant food samples. The results indicated that household type did not influence microbial diversity and composition in Soweto. South Africa. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Tenericutes dominated the phyla rank in food samples from formal and informal households. Potential pathogens of public health significance, including diarrhoeal disease agents such as Salmonella spp., E. coli, and Campylobacter spp., were detected within the foods. We concluded that the infant food samples showed rich bacterial diversity, and the presence of potential pathogens of public health significance suggests a disease risk that infants may face upon consuming the foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wellington Torgby-Tetteh
- Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa; (W.T.-T.); (S.K.)
| | - Srinivasan Krishnamoorthy
- Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa; (W.T.-T.); (S.K.)
- National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management-Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T), Thanjavur 613005, India
| | - Elna M. Buys
- Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa; (W.T.-T.); (S.K.)
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Momberg DJ, Bell R, Norris SA, Ngandu CB, Richter LM, Murphy-Alford AJ, Said-Mohamed R. Infection, nutritional status, and body composition: Associations at birth and 6 months postnatally in Soweto, South Africa. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23914. [PMID: 37221911 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The impact of infection on infant nutritional status, body size, and growth is well documented. However, research into the impact of infection on infant body composition is limited. Greater understanding is, therefore, needed on the effects of infection in early life. METHODS Associations between a composite morbidity index consisting of the sum of the cumulative tallies for a range of symptoms representing infection and morbidity in the infants and nutritional status (height-for-age (HAZ), and weight-for-height (WHZ)), and body composition (fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass index (FFMI), and fat mass index (FMI)) at 6 months of age were investigated using hierarchical regression analysis. RESULTS The sample comprised data between birth and 6 months postnatally, of 156 infants who were a priori born healthy in Soweto, South Africa. Morbidity, over the cumulative period of birth to 6 months, was associated with lower FMI (β = -1.77) and lower FM (β = -0.61), and conversely with higher FFM (β = 0.94), in infants at 6 months. No associations were found between the morbidity index and FFMI, HAZ, and WHZ. Increased birthweight was associated with a higher FFM (β = 0.66), HAZ (β = 1.14), and WHZ (β = 0.87). Finally, safely managed sanitation facilities, representative of reduced environmental exposure to fecal-oral transmission pathways were associated with a higher HAZ (β = 1.21). DISCUSSION Reduction in FMI and FM and exposure to inflammatory cytokines associated with mounting an immune response could alter phenotypic trajectories during to this period of plasticity. From a public health perspective, these results imply that it is important to intensify efforts to prevent infection in infants in the first 6 months postnatally, and that these efforts should concentrate on access to safely managed sanitation facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J Momberg
- Department of Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Rachel Bell
- Department of Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Shane A Norris
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Christian B Ngandu
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Linda M Richter
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Alexia J Murphy-Alford
- Nutritional and Health Related Environmental Studies Section, Division of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rihlat Said-Mohamed
- Department of Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Petermann-Rocha F, Rao N, Bala M, Parshad-Asnani M, Sifuna A, Yousafzai A, Ho FK, Ip P. Hygiene Practices and Early Childhood Development in the East Asia-Pacific Region: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:2798. [PMID: 36833497 PMCID: PMC9957383 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20042798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Poor hygiene might be a risk factor for early childhood development (ECD). This study investigated the associations of three hygiene practices ('wash hands before a meal,' 'wash hands after going to the toilet,' and 'brush teeth'), separately and combined, with ECD. Six thousand six hundred ninety-seven children (4 [0.8] years) from the East Asia-Pacific Early Child Development Scales validation study were included in this cross-sectional analysis. The hygiene variables were recoded to have comparable values as 'always,' 'sometimes,' and 'never.' These variables were then grouped to create combined categories. The binary outcome variables, poor ECD, were defined as a score < age-specific 25th centile. Modified Poisson regression models were used to analyse the associations. Data collection was performed between 2012 and 2014, and the analyses were conducted in April 2022. Compared with children who 'always' washed their hands before a meal, those who did it 'sometimes' (Prevalence Ratio [PR]: 1.30 [95% CI: 1.16-1.46]) or 'never' (PR: 1.35 [1.18-1.55]) had a higher likelihood of poorer overall development. Comparable results were identified for the other two hygiene practices and the other four domain-specific outcomes (p < 0.05). Compared with children who always followed the three hygiene practices, the likelihood of poor overall ECD increased as the combined hygiene practice decreased among children with poor hygiene practices (PRnever: 1.67 [1.40-2.00]; PRrarely: 1.49 [1.30-1.71]; PRsometimes: 1.30 [1.14-1.49]). Children who did not always follow good hygiene practices had a higher likelihood of poor ECD independently of sociodemographic factors. Considering these findings, future hygiene practice interventions and trials should consider including ECD outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Petermann-Rocha
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago 8370068, Chile
- BHF Cardiovascular Research Centre, School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Nirmala Rao
- Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Manya Bala
- Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Monika Parshad-Asnani
- Sickle Cell Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of The West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica
| | - Anthony Sifuna
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega 50100, Kenya
| | - Aisha Yousafzai
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02115, USA
| | - Frederick K. Ho
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8RZ, UK
| | - Patrick Ip
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Momberg DJ, Voth-Gaeddert LE, Richter LM, Norris SA, Said-Mohamed R. Rethinking water, sanitation, and hygiene for human growth and development. Glob Public Health 2022; 17:3815-3824. [PMID: 35184678 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2022.2036218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Life history theory emphasises plasticity in developmental and biological programming where conditions in early life, lead to long-term consequences for health and wellbeing. Studies linking water, sanitation, and hygiene, nutrition, and child growth and development have emphasised the optimisation of linear growth as a key metric for the evaluation of intervention efficacy. Life history characteristics pertaining to human growth and phenotypic plasticity, suggest that different developmental outcomes in early childhood may be responsive to different stimuli at different ages. Energy utilisation by the human brain, from birth through childhood, accounts for a disproportionate percentage of the resting metabolic rate. Undernutrition in early life, and its relative resultant energy deficiency, may trigger adaptive physiological mechanisms prioritising brain growth at the expense of body growth. Emphasis placed on linear growth may have impeded the significance of WASH due to excluding aspects of child development beyond height/weight. We propose that incorporating evolutionary public health and life history theory perspectives, allows for the identification of age-appropriate biological outcomes and WASH indicators, while anticipating the timing and life-course suitability of the interventions being operationalised. Finally, integrating reflections regarding context allows for the development of transformative WASH interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J Momberg
- Department of Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lee E Voth-Gaeddert
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Linda M Richter
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Shane A Norris
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Rihlat Said-Mohamed
- Department of Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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