IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0214790.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Perceived water insecurity among adults from urban and peri-urban Haiti: A qualitative study

Author

Listed:
  • Elizabeth A Wood
  • Hannah Douglas
  • Andrew J Fiore
  • Meredith K Nappy
  • Robinson Bernier
  • Kelly S Chapman

Abstract

Water and sanitation services are fundamental in preventing the spread of waterborne and hygiene-related diseases. However, in developing countries, such as Haiti, access to clean water continues to pose major challenges despite efforts to improve quality and reduce distance. With Léogâne being the epicenter of the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, there were dozens of interventions aimed to improve access to clean water, specifically well construction and use of water treatment strategies. Using the socioecological framework, this study collected qualitative data to supplement a household water insecurity experiences (HWISE) survey in order to fully understand the narratives around water in Léogâne (urban) and its neighboring commune Gressier (peri-urban). The inclusion criteria for this study was that the participant must be a resident of either site, at least 18 years or older, and a female. Only females were included in this study so that researchers could better understand how perceived water insecurity impacts reproductive health, specifically gynecological infections. This cross-sectional study yielded 61 total in-depth interviews using a semi-structured open ended questionnaire to allow participants the ability to elaborate. Results suggest that there are common misconceptions about water and reproductive health specifically that engaging in sexual intercourse in saltwater will not result in pregnancy. Relevant narratives among the two communes included water acquisition, use of water, and bathing practices, among several others. Through understanding the local Haitian perspective and practices that surround water insecurity, we can better tailor public health interventions to improve access to water, female hygiene practices, and ultimately lower and prevent disease transmission.

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth A Wood & Hannah Douglas & Andrew J Fiore & Meredith K Nappy & Robinson Bernier & Kelly S Chapman, 2019. "Perceived water insecurity among adults from urban and peri-urban Haiti: A qualitative study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(4), pages 1-13, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0214790
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214790
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0214790
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0214790&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0214790?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ramnath Subbaraman & Laura Nolan & Kiran Sawant & Shrutika Shitole & Tejal Shitole & Mahesh Nanarkar & Anita Patil-Deshmukh & David E Bloom, 2015. "Multidimensional Measurement of Household Water Poverty in a Mumbai Slum: Looking Beyond Water Quality," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(7), pages 1-19, July.
    2. Stevenson, Edward G.J. & Greene, Leslie E. & Maes, Kenneth C. & Ambelu, Argaw & Tesfaye, Yihenew Alemu & Rheingans, Richard & Hadley, Craig, 2012. "Water insecurity in 3 dimensions: An anthropological perspective on water and women's psychosocial distress in Ethiopia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(2), pages 392-400.
    3. Bisung, Elijah & Elliott, Susan J., 2018. "Improvement in access to safe water, household water insecurity, and time savings: A cross-sectional retrospective study in Kenya," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 1-8.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Winter, James C. & Darmstadt, Gary L. & Davis, Jennifer, 2021. "The role of piped water supplies in advancing health, economic development, and gender equality in rural communities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    2. Brewis, Alexandra & Choudhary, Neetu & Wutich, Amber, 2019. "Household water insecurity may influence common mental disorders directly and indirectly through multiple pathways: Evidence from Haiti," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 238(C), pages 1-1.
    3. Bisung, Elijah & Elliott, Susan J., 2018. "Improvement in access to safe water, household water insecurity, and time savings: A cross-sectional retrospective study in Kenya," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 1-8.
    4. Kumar, Tanu & Post, Alison E. & Ray, Isha, 2018. "Flows, leaks and blockages in informational interventions: A field experimental study of Bangalore's water sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 149-160.
    5. Erica W. Ho & Sophia Strohmeier-Breuning & Madeleine Rossanese & Dana Charron & David Pennise & Jay P. Graham, 2021. "Diverse Health, Gender and Economic Impacts from Domestic Transport of Water and Solid Fuel: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-25, October.
    6. Joshi, Nupur & Lopus, Sara & Hannah, Corrie & Ernst, Kacey C. & Kilungo, Aminata P. & Opiyo, Romanus & Ngayu, Margaret & Davies, Julia & Evans, Tom, 2022. "COVID-19 lockdowns: Employment and business disruptions, water access and hygiene practices in Nairobi's informal settlements," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 308(C).
    7. Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay & Sanjukta Sarkar & Rudra Sensarma, 2021. "Does Access to Key Household Resources Help in Reducing Violence against Women?," Discussion Papers 21-09, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.
    8. Mushavi, Rumbidzai C. & Burns, Bridget F.O. & Kakuhikire, Bernard & Owembabazi, Moran & Vořechovská, Dagmar & McDonough, Amy Q. & Cooper-Vince, Christine E. & Baguma, Charles & Rasmussen, Justin D. & , 2020. "“When you have no water, it means you have no peace”: A mixed-methods, whole-population study of water insecurity and depression in rural Uganda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    9. Xuhang Shen & Ziqi Wang & Shi Li, 2023. "Access to Piped Water and Off-Farm Work Participation: Evidence from Rural China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-20, February.
    10. Joseph Kangmennaang & Elijah Bisung & Susan J. Elliott, 2020. "‘We Are Drinking Diseases’: Perception of Water Insecurity and Emotional Distress in Urban Slums in Accra, Ghana," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-17, January.
    11. Hadley, Craig & Stevenson, Edward Geoffrey Jedediah & Tadesse, Yemesrach & Belachew, Tefera, 2012. "Rapidly rising food prices and the experience of food insecurity in urban Ethiopia: Impacts on health and well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(12), pages 2412-2419.
    12. Adams, Ellis Adjei & Byrns, Sydney & Kumwenda, Save & Quilliam, Richard & Mkandawire, Theresa & Price, Heather, 2022. "Water journeys: Household water insecurity, health risks, and embodiment in slums and informal settlements," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    13. Godfred O Boateng & Shalean M Collins & Patrick Mbullo & Pauline Wekesa & Maricianah Onono & Torsten B Neilands & Sera L Young, 2018. "A novel household water insecurity scale: Procedures and psychometric analysis among postpartum women in western Kenya," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(6), pages 1-28, June.
    14. Maes, Kenneth & Closser, Svea & Tesfaye, Yihenew & Abesha, Roza, 2019. "Psychosocial distress among unpaid community health workers in rural Ethiopia: Comparing leaders in Ethiopia's Women's Development Army to their peers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 230(C), pages 138-146.
    15. Rosinger, Asher Y. & Bethancourt, Hilary J. & Young, Sera L. & Schultz, Alan F., 2021. "The embodiment of water insecurity: Injuries and chronic stress in lowland Bolivia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).
    16. Elizabeth A Wood & Hannah Douglas & Andrew J Fiore & Robinson Bernier & Kelly S Chapman, 2019. "Perceptions of water insecurity from urban and peri-urban Haiti: A quantitative analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(4), pages 1-12, April.
    17. Young, Sera L., 2021. "Viewpoint: The measurement of water access and use is key for more effective food and nutrition policy," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    18. Maxfield, Amanda, 2020. "Testing the theoretical similarities between food and water insecurity: Buffering hypothesis and effects on mental wellbeing," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    19. Sahoo, Krushna Chandra & Hulland, Kristyna R.S. & Caruso, Bethany A. & Swain, Rojalin & Freeman, Matthew C. & Panigrahi, Pinaki & Dreibelbis, Robert, 2015. "Sanitation-related psychosocial stress: A grounded theory study of women across the life-course in Odisha, India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 80-89.
    20. Lloyd Chigusiwa & George Kembo & Terrence Kairiza, 2023. "Drought and social conflict in rural Zimbabwe: Does the burden fall on women and girls?," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 178-197, February.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0214790. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.