# Empowering Women, Enhancing Health: The Role of Education in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) and Child Health Outcomes

## TL;DR

This study shows that while WASH services alone may not reduce child diarrhea, maternal education significantly improves child health outcomes in Tanzania.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that maternal education, alongside WASH services, is crucial for improving child health outcomes.

## Key findings

- WASH services alone were not significantly associated with reduced diarrhea in children under five.
- Maternal education significantly impacted health outcomes for children with at least one WASH service.
- Higher maternal education was linked to lower food insecurity and poverty.

## Abstract

Background: Adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) are critical to maintaining good health and hygiene. However, health is a function of many health determinants, and WASH services alone may not be sufficient to improve health outcomes. Objective: To identify whether the presence of WaSH services is associated with fewer children under five years of age experiencing symptoms of diarrhea in Katoma, Geita, Tanzania. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect health data, demographics, and other variables, such as WASH, food insecurity, education of the mother, vaccination data, and household income data, for 452 households with children under five. Surveys were completed in-person through interviews. Health outcome data included being sick with diarrhea or symptoms. Data analysis was performed using SAS OnDemand for Academics. Multivariate logistic regression and mixed-effects logistic regression models were employed to determine the association between the covariates and sickness of inclusion children and all the children involved in the study, respectively. Results: The findings suggest that WASH services alone do not have a significant impact on diarrhea, but other determinants of health, including the education of the mother, showed a significant impact on health outcomes among children with at least one WASH service. These demographic variables were also associated with lower food insecurity and poverty. The findings highlight the need to (1) include other covariates when analyzing WASH data to understand health outcomes; and (2) improve education attainment for women to maximize health benefits for their children.