Scholarlink

Background <p>By 2030, Target 6.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to ensure everyone has access to safe and reliable sanitation and hygiene. In developing countries like India, the disposal of children’s feces is often overlooked in sanitation practices, even though the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has improved the country’s sanitation infrastructure. While prior studies have examined individual-level determinants, there is a need to explore the detailed geographical patterns of the prevalence of unsafe disposal.</p> Methods <p>This study was conducted on 78,932 live children (aged 0–2 years), with data collected from NFHS-5 (2019-21). Both non-spatial (chi-square statistics, multivariable logistic regression) and spatial (univariate and bivariate Local Indicators of Spatial Association, Moran’s I, Ordinary Least Squares, Spatial Error Model, and Spatial Lag Model) techniques were used.</p> Results <p>Over 61.16% of caregivers in India engaged in unsafe disposal practices. The univariate Moran’s I value for unsafe disposal practices was 0.658, indicating a high degree of spatial autocorrelation across districts. Hotspots are concentrated in 166 districts in the eastern region (Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh), northeast (Assam and Meghalaya), southern (Tamil Nadu), and some areas in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. SEM (Spatial Error Model) insights revealed significant correlations between unsafe disposal practices and water fetched from outside the premises, the poorest wealth status, open defecation, being Hindu, and women with marriage before 18 years.</p> Conclusion <p>The high prevalence of unhygienic disposal practices presents a public health challenge in India, and its spatial heterogeneity indicates that area-specific interventions are urgently needed. The findings provide a district-level evidence base for the targeted implementation of SBM Phase II, the Jal Jeevan Mission, and behaviour change communication programmes to achieve SDG 6.2 by 2030.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

District level spatial analysis of unsafe child stool disposal practices among children aged 0–2 years in India using NFHS5

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月21日

查看全文
  • Mithun Sarkar,
  • Apurba Sarkar,
  • Pradip Chouhan

摘要

Background

By 2030, Target 6.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to ensure everyone has access to safe and reliable sanitation and hygiene. In developing countries like India, the disposal of children’s feces is often overlooked in sanitation practices, even though the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has improved the country’s sanitation infrastructure. While prior studies have examined individual-level determinants, there is a need to explore the detailed geographical patterns of the prevalence of unsafe disposal.

Methods

This study was conducted on 78,932 live children (aged 0–2 years), with data collected from NFHS-5 (2019-21). Both non-spatial (chi-square statistics, multivariable logistic regression) and spatial (univariate and bivariate Local Indicators of Spatial Association, Moran’s I, Ordinary Least Squares, Spatial Error Model, and Spatial Lag Model) techniques were used.

Results

Over 61.16% of caregivers in India engaged in unsafe disposal practices. The univariate Moran’s I value for unsafe disposal practices was 0.658, indicating a high degree of spatial autocorrelation across districts. Hotspots are concentrated in 166 districts in the eastern region (Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh), northeast (Assam and Meghalaya), southern (Tamil Nadu), and some areas in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. SEM (Spatial Error Model) insights revealed significant correlations between unsafe disposal practices and water fetched from outside the premises, the poorest wealth status, open defecation, being Hindu, and women with marriage before 18 years.

Conclusion

The high prevalence of unhygienic disposal practices presents a public health challenge in India, and its spatial heterogeneity indicates that area-specific interventions are urgently needed. The findings provide a district-level evidence base for the targeted implementation of SBM Phase II, the Jal Jeevan Mission, and behaviour change communication programmes to achieve SDG 6.2 by 2030.