The impact of water supplies and sanitation on growth in Chinese children

Abstract

In many developing countries, improvement in water supplies has not been supplemented by improvement in sanitation facilities. Moreover, health education is rarely included in environmental hygiene programmes. Community health workers need to know if water supplies and sanitation have independent or complementary effects on health. This study analysed the weight data of 1,045 Chinese children aged 60 months or below. Regression models with interaction terms were tested against a model with main effects only. There was no evidence of interaction between water supplies and sanitation measures. The results show that water supplies and toilet facilities had independent associations with growth. Improved water source (P=0.01) and flush-toilet (P=0.06) were found positively associated with the children's weight. Presence of excreta in the home had a negative, but not statistically significant, association with weight.