Women's management of the household health environment: responding to childhood diarrhea in the Northern Areas, Pakistan.
This paper examines mothers' management of water, sanitation, hygiene, and childhood diarrhea in a mountain community in the Northern Areas, Pakistan. It draws upon qualitative data obtained from 65 in-depth interviews and other ethnographic field methods. The analysis shows that respondents were familiar with diarrhea control interventions carried out in the study site, and associated childhood diarrhea with oral-fecal transmission routes such as poor water quality, unhygienic behaviors, contaminated food, and inadequate sanitation practices. Findings also demonstrate the continuance of long-established cultural patterns of perception and behavior with regard to childhood diarrhea and the influence of socio-economic constraints to instituting new management practices.
Halvorson
Sarah J
SJ
Department of Geography, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA. sjhalvor@selway.umt.edu
D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D009035:Mothers; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014881:Water Supply