| The contribution of unimproved water and toilet facilities to pregnancy-related mortality in Afghanistan: analysis of the Afghan Mortality Survey |
| Authors: |
Gon G., Monzon-Llamas L., Benova L., Willey B., and Campbell O.M. |
| Source: |
Tropical Medicine and International Health, 19(12):1488-99. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12394. |
| Topic(s): |
Maternal mortality
Pregnancy outcomes
Reproductive health
Sanitation
Water supply
Water treatment
Women's health
|
| Country: |
Asia
Afghanistan
|
| Published: |
DEC 2014 |
| Abstract: |
OBJECTIVE:
To estimate the effect of unimproved household water and toilet facilities on pregnancy-related mortality in Afghanistan.
METHODS:
The data source was a population-based cross-sectional study, the Afghan Mortality Survey 2010. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out, comparing 69 pregnancy-related deaths (cases) and 15386 surviving women (non-cases) who had a live birth or stillbirth between 2007 and 2010.
RESULTS:
After adjusting for confounders, households with unimproved water access had 1.91 the odds of pregnancy-related mortality [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-3.30] compared to households with improved water access. We also found an association between unimproved toilet facilities and pregnancy-related mortality (OR = 2.25; 95% CI 0.71-7.19; P-value = 0.169), but it was not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS:
Unimproved household water access was an important risk factor for pregnancy-related mortality in Afghanistan. However, we were unable to discern whether unimproved water source is a marker of unhygienic environments or socio-economic position. There was weak evidence for the association between unimproved toilet facilities and pregnancy-related mortality; this association requires confirmation from larger studies. |
| Web: |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tmi.12394/full |
|