Children in Uganda and the physical environment: Household survey by Health Child to quantify the effects of poor sanitation on children’s health

Development
Health Child in 2011 conducted a baseline survey among 344 sampled households in Eastern Uganda”. The research Correlated household sanitation to vital child health indicators including child nutrition, child illnesses
Design
The survey employed a cross-sectional study design, using both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.
Findings
The mean number of people living in each household in the survey was 6. Mean number of children in each household was 4. Majority (60%) of the respondent reported that they don’t do anything to the water to make it safer to drink. 54% of the households own un-cemented pit latrines, while 22% use public pit latrines. nearly two-thirds (60%) households lack waste pits while (54%) lacked plate stands. Prevalence of diarrhea was at 20% attributed poor hygienic practices relating to waste disposal, food handling, and hand washing practices.
Stunting among children was at 43.5% stunted or severely stunted. 12.5% underweight or severely underweight and 7.8% wasted or severely wasted. Child nutritional status of was highly impacted by illness/infection and lack of safe clean water, safe sanitation facilities