title: An improved tool for household faeces management in rural Bangladeshi communities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore child defecation and faeces management practices in rural Bangladesh with the aim to redesign and pilot a tool to facilitate removal and disposal of faeces.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted six group discussions, six short interviews and three observations of practices and designed the new tool. We piloted the new tool and elicited feedback through two in-depth interviews and two observations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Until three years of age, a child commonly defecates in the courtyard and occasionally inside the house. A heavy digging hoe was commonly used to remove child faeces. Mothers preferred a redesigned 'mini-hoe' and found it easier to use for removal and disposal of liquid faeces.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Promoting modified local tools may contribute to improving environmental sanitation and health.
authors.affiliation: Center for Communicable Diseases, icddr, b, Dhaka, Bangladesh. rebeca@icddrb.org
authors.forename: Rebeca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sultana
authors.forename: Utpal K
authors.initials: UK
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.forename: Nadia Ali
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Rimi
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Unicomb
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Winch
authors.forename: Nazmun
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nahar
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Luby
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003672:Defecation; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005243:Feces; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009035:Mothers; D019370:Observation; D012424:Rural Population; D012498:Sanitary Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*