scholarly journals Psychosocial impacts of the lack of access to water and sanitation in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elijah Bisung ◽  
Susan J. Elliott

The lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation has implications for the psychosocial well-being of individuals and households. To review the literature on psychosocial impacts, we completed a scoping review of the published literature using Medline, Embase, and Scopus. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed in detail. Of the included studies, six were conducted in India, one in Nepal, one in Mexico, one in Bolivia, two in Ethiopia, one in Zimbabwe, one in South Africa, and two in Kenya. Four interrelated groups of stressors emerged from the review: physical stressors, financial stressors, social stressors, and stressors related to (perceived) inequities. Further, gender differences were observed, with women carrying a disproportionate psychosocial burden. We argue that failure to incorporate psychosocial stressors when estimating the burden or benefits of safe water and sanitation may mask an important driver of health and well-being for many households in low- and middle-income countries. We propose further research on water-related stressors with particular attention to unique cultural norms around water and sanitation, short and long term psychosocial outcomes, and individual and collective coping strategies. These may help practitioners better understand cumulative impacts and mechanisms for addressing water and sanitation challenges.

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elijah Bisung ◽  
Susan J. Elliott

The lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation pose significant health challenges for many individuals and communities in low and middle-income countries. Aside from direct health issues, the lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation is increasingly associated with psychosocial concerns that affect the wellbeing of individuals and communities. However, the nature of these concerns has received little attention in peer-reviewed literature. This paper draws on environmental stress and ecosocial theories to explore psychosocial concerns related to water and sanitation in Usoma, a lakeshore community in Western Kenya. The study used qualitative key informant interviews (n = 9) and focus group discussions (n = 10). Results reveal deep feelings of anxiety and frustration, embarrassment, negative identity, feelings of marginalization, and lack of self-efficacy. These stressors were a byproduct of daily lived experiences associated with lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation, as well as the coping strategies people adopted. The paper suggests that benefits of water interventions transcend disease reduction to improved wellbeing through complex social pathways. The findings contribute to knowledge gaps within the water–health nexus and direct policy responses toward largely unexplored psychosocial concerns associated with water and sanitation.


Author(s):  
Suman Verma

Effective social protection policies are crucial to realizing adolescents’ rights, ensuring their well-being, breaking the cycle of poverty and vulnerability, and helping them realize their full developmental potential. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have extended social security coverage to ensure basic protections—while continuing to develop social protection systems. Social protection for LMIC adolescents in the context of gross violations of their basic rights is examined. Prevalence, consequences of protection rights violations, and the role and impact of social protection programs in ensuring enhanced opportunities for development and well-being among young people are discussed. Results demonstrate direct impacts (e.g., increased income, consumption, goods and services access; greater social inclusion; reduced household stress). LMICs need integrated social protection policy and program expansion if the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is to be realized. With adolescent-centered policies and investments, governments can help adolescents realize their rights to a fulfilling and productive life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Howard ◽  
Anisha Nijhawan ◽  
Adrian Flint ◽  
Manish Baidya ◽  
Maria Pregnolato ◽  
...  

AbstractClimate change presents a major threat to water and sanitation services. There is an urgent need to understand and improve resilience, particularly in rural communities and small towns in low- and middle-income countries that already struggle to provide universal access to services and face increasing threats from climate change. To date, there is a lack of a simple framework to assess the resilience of water and sanitation services which hinders the development of strategies to improve services. An interdisciplinary team of engineers and environmental and social scientists were brought together to investigate the development of a resilience measurement framework for use in low- and middle-income countries. Six domains of interest were identified based on a literature review, expert opinion, and limited field assessments in two countries. A scoring system using a Likert scale is proposed to assess the resilience of services and allow analysis at local and national levels to support improvements in individual supplies, identifying systematic faults, and support prioritisation for action. This is a simple, multi-dimensional framework for assessing the resilience of rural and small-town water and sanitation services in LMICs. The framework is being further tested in Nepal and Ethiopia and future results will be reported on its application.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Mulimba Were ◽  
SAVERIO STRANGES ◽  
Ishor Sharma ◽  
Juan-Camilo Vargas-Gonzalez ◽  
M. Karen Campbell

Introduction: The majority of the populations in Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) are encountering the double burden of malnutrition (DBM): the coexistence of both undernutrition and overnutrition sequalae. With DBM being a new phenomenon in research, little is known about its etiology, operational definitions and risk factors influencing its manifestation. The proposed scoping review is aimed at mapping literature with regards to the DBM phenomenon among preschool children and women of reproductive age in LMICs who are among the most high-risk groups to encounter DBM. Methods: A comprehensive literature search will be conducted in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL, LILACS and ProQuest Dissertations & Thesis Global. Additionally, searches in other government and institutional sources (World Health Organization website and university repositories) and forward and backward citation tracking of seminal articles will also be done. Two reviewers will independently conduct title and abstract screening and full text screening. Similarly, data extraction and coding will independently be done by two reviewers. Information extracted from included literature will be analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis approach and reported as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval is not required for this study because the review is based on literature from publicly available sources. The dissemination of our findings will be done through presentations in relevant conferences and publication in a peer-reviewed journal.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nessa Ryan ◽  
Vida Rebello ◽  
Desiree Gutierrez ◽  
Kameko Washburn ◽  
Alvaro Zevallos Barboza ◽  
...  

Background: Stroke is the second leading cause of death globally and an increasing concern in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) where, due to limited capacity to treat stroke, preventative efforts are critically important. Although some research on evidence-based interventions for stroke prevention in LMIC exists, there remains a significant gap in understanding of their implementation across various contexts in LMIC. Objectives: In this scoping review, our objective was to identify and synthesize the implementation outcomes (using Proctor et al.’s taxonomy, 2011) for stroke prevention interventions, as well as to describe the diverse interventions employed. Methods: Eligible studies were empirical, focused on implementation of stroke prevention programs or policies, and occurred in at least one LMIC. Five databases were searched, including PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Two reviewers independently assessed studies for selection and charted data; discrepancies were resolved through discussion with a third reviewer until consensus was reached. Narrative synthesis was used to analyze and interpret the findings. Results: Studies were predominantly focused in Asia, targeting primary or secondary prevention, and facility-based. Interventions were conducted at the level of individual (n=11), system (n=12), or both (n=4). Various implementation outcomes were reported, most commonly cost (n=10), acceptability (n=7), fidelity (n=7), and feasibility (n=6), but also adoption (n=4), penetration (n=3), appropriateness (n=1), and sustainability (n=1). Conclusions: Findings highlight the breadth of evidence-based interventions for stroke prevention available to implement in LMIC settings, including culturally acceptable education interventions, cost-effective medications, and community-based interventions implemented by community health workers. Implementation outcomes remain under-reported, and more rigorous research is needed to better plan and evaluate the implementation of these interventions to prevent stroke.


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