Department of Health Education and Behavioral Sciences, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
PLoS One. 2023 Feb 9;18(2):e0281451. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281451. eCollection 2023.
Children's feces are thought to pose a greater public health risk than those of adults' due to higher concentrations of pathogens. The aim of this study was to determine the associated factors of safe child feces disposal among children under two years of age in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The most recent demographic and health survey datasets of 34 sub-Saharan countries were used. A total weighted sample of 78, 151 mothers/caregivers of under two children were included in the study. Both bivariable and multivariable multilevel logistic regression were done. The Odds Ratio (OR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was calculated for each independent variables included in the model.
Those mothers/caregivers from urban residence (AOR = 1.42; CI: 1.36, 1.48), mothers with primary education (AOR = 1.49; CI: 1.44, 1.56), richer (AOR = 1.78; CI: 1.69, 1.88) and richest wealth quintiles (AOR = 2.17; CI: 2.01, 2.31), family size <5 (AOR = 1.06; CI: 1.02-1.09), access to improved water source (AOR = 1.29; CI: 1.25, 1.34), mothers who owned toilet (AOR = 3.09; 2.99-3.19) and who had media exposure (AOR = 1.19; CI: 1.15, 1.24) had higher odds of practicing safe child feces disposal than their counter parts. However, mothers/care givers who are not currently working (AOR = 0.83; CI: 0.80, 0.86), higher education (AOR = 0.85; CI: 0.76-0.94) and from Western region of Africa (AOR = 0.82; CI: 0.79-0.86) had reduced chance of safe child feces disposal as compared to their counter parts.
Residence, mothers' level of education, wealth index, water source, toilet ownership and media exposure were factors associated with safe child feces disposal. It is advisable to implement health promotion and behavioral change intervention measures especially for those women /caregivers from rural residence, poor economic status, who cannot access improved water and for those with no media exposure to improve the practice of safe child feces disposal.
由于儿童粪便中病原体浓度较高，人们认为儿童粪便比成年人的粪便对公共健康构成更大的威胁。本研究旨在确定撒哈拉以南非洲 2 岁以下儿童安全处理儿童粪便的相关因素。
使用了最近的 34 个撒哈拉以南国家的人口和健康调查数据集。该研究共纳入了 78151 名 2 岁以下儿童的母亲/照顾者的加权总样本。对模型中包含的每个自变量进行了双变量和多变量多层次逻辑回归。计算了每个自变量的比值比（OR）及其 95%置信区间（CI）。
与农村居住的母亲/照顾者（AOR = 1.42；CI：1.36，1.48）、受过小学教育的母亲（AOR = 1.49；CI：1.44，1.56）、较富裕（AOR = 1.78；CI：1.69，1.88）和最富裕的财富五分位数（AOR = 2.17；CI：2.01，2.31）、家庭规模<5（AOR = 1.06；CI：1.02-1.09）、获得改善水源（AOR = 1.29；CI：1.25，1.34）、拥有厕所的母亲（AOR = 3.09；2.99-3.19）和接触媒体的母亲（AOR = 1.19；CI：1.15，1.24）相比，他们更有可能采取安全处理儿童粪便的措施。然而，目前没有工作的母亲/照顾者（AOR = 0.83；CI：0.80，0.86）、接受过高等教育的母亲（AOR = 0.85；CI：0.76-0.94）和来自非洲西部地区的母亲（AOR = 0.82；CI：0.79-0.86）与同龄人相比，安全处理儿童粪便的可能性较低。
居住地、母亲的教育水平、财富指数、水源、厕所拥有情况和媒体接触情况是与安全处理儿童粪便相关的因素。建议实施健康促进和行为改变干预措施，特别是针对那些来自农村地区、经济贫困、无法获得改善用水的妇女/照顾者，以及那些没有媒体接触的妇女/照顾者，以提高安全处理儿童粪便的做法。
