Household WASH Facilities (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and Hygiene Practices among Indian Children (11-17 years)

Abstract

Purpose: Despite the importance of WASH, yet in developing countries such as India, there is a high prevalence of water and sanitation related diseases, especially among poor children, living under unhygienic conditions, who are already at higher risk for health and nutritional problems. Therefore, a study was undertaken to assess household WASH facilities and hygiene practices among children (N=1050, aged 11-17 years) from government schools of Punjab (India). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to obtain data on demographic profile, socio-economic status; household WASH facilities (water, sanitation, waste disposal, potable water use) and hygiene-related practices (hand washing and body hygiene) of school-children. Results: Among Punjabi school-children, school hand washing with soap, before and after a meal (42% each) was seen practiced less compared to hand washing after using the toilet (78%).Less than half of school children used to bath (49%), brush teeth (48%) and change clothes (44%) daily. Slightly over half of school children were cleaning ears (50%) and cutting nails (52%) on a monthly basis. Regarding household WASH facilities, it was observed that, majority of the subjects had household piped water connections (63%) and improved (flush system) sanitation facility (64%). Most of them were not consuming potable water (73%), and reported throwing waste in garbage pits/on roads (71%). However, urban school children had better WASH practices and household facilities than rural school children. Children from government schools of Punjab did not meet the basic hygiene standards. The study findings underscore the need for implementation of WASH education in schools and awareness programs in rural communities, especially from low-income families.