Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
Date Submitted: Apr 14, 2020
Date Accepted: Dec 1, 2020
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Use of technology to access health information/services and subsequent association with WASH knowledge and behaviors among women with children under 2 in Indonesia: Cross-Sectional Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Water access, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) remain a public health concern in Indonesia. Proper WASH practices can decrease risk of stunting, wasting, and disease in children under the age of two.
Objective:
The purpose of this study is to examine if using technology to access health information and services among Indonesian women affects knowledge and behaviors regarding handwashing and defecation practices.
Methods:
Participants included 1734 mothers of children under two years old. These women were randomly selected and interviewed as part of a three-stage cluster sampling technique. This study uses the data regarding WASH knowledge which includes: benefits of handwashing with soap, five critical times of handwashing, risks of open defecation, media of disease transmission, defecation locations, and risks of open defecation. Data regarding WASH behaviors was also included: handwashing with soap, type of latrine used at home, and where defecation took place. This investigation used adjusted and unadjusted logistic and linear regression models to determine differences in WASH outcomes between those who use technology to access health information and services and those who did not.
Results:
One result is that Indonesian women with children under two who use technology to access health information and services are more likely to know the advantages of proper handwashing (OR=2.603; CI=1.666-4.067) and know the five critical times of handwashing (OR=1.217; CI=.969-1.528). Women who use technology to access health information are also more likely to know the risks of open defecation (OR=1.627; CI=1.170-2.264) and use a type of toilet (such as a gooseneck or squat toilet) that limits risk compared to women who did not use technology to access health information (OR=3.858; CI= 2.628-5.665).
Conclusions:
Using technology to access health information and services was associated with an increase in handwashing and defecation knowledge. In the future, promoting mothers of children under two to access to health information through technology might be used to increase handwashing and defecation knowledge as well as safe defecation practices. However, further research should be done to determine how technology may increase the frequency of recommended handwashing behaviors.
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