Quality of drinking water and sanitation and malnutrition in children under 5 years in Cameroon

Today, malnutrition is the underlying cause of approximately one-third of child deaths. It is therefore necessary to have a good understanding of the risk factors for malnutrition to improve interventions. This study aimed to illustrate the effect of the quality of drinking water and sanitation facilities on the nutritional status of children. This is a cross-sectional study using data from the MICS3 survey realized in 2006 in Cameroon. We used z-scores for the weight-for-age and height-for-age indices as indicators of children’s nutritional status. We used two dummy variables to indicate whether or not households had satisfactory drinking water and sanitation facilities. Control variables related to child, mother and household were included and we used a multiple linear regression model. Using an improved drinking water source and improved sanitation facilities has a positive impact on children's health in Cameroon (higher z-scores). The effect on underweight is greater than it is on growth retardation. Drinking water of good quality and satisfactory sanitation seem to be protective factors with respect to child malnutrition in Cameroon. In addition to actions usually taken (eg. educating mothers), improving hygiene conditions in households is an important issue to be considered by stakeholders involved in children’s health.