Practice of environmental sanitation and hygiene in the light of “Swacha Bharat Abhiyan”: a study among female residents of rural Punjab, India

Authors

  • Sourabh Paul Department of Community Medicine, AIIMS, Raeibareli, Uttar Pradesh, India (Ex Assistant Professor, Adesh Institute of Medical Science & Research, Bathinda, Punjab, India), India
  • Shyam Mehera Department of Community Medicine, Adesh Institute of Medical Science & Research, Bathinda, Punjab, India
  • Gurirat Sidhu Department of Community Medicine, Adesh Institute of Medical Science & Research, Bathinda, Punjab, India
  • Varun Malhotra Department of Community Medicine, Adesh Institute of Medical Science & Research, Bathinda, Punjab, India
  • Tanvir K. Sidhu Department of Community Medicine, Adesh Institute of Medical Science & Research, Bathinda, Punjab, India
  • Paresh Prajapati Department of Community Medicine, Adesh Institute of Medical Science & Research, Bathinda, Punjab, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20204370

Keywords:

Drinking water, Environmental sanitation, Hygiene, Swacha Bharat Abhiyan, Solid & liquid waste disposal

Abstract

Background: India has achieved the status of open defecation free (ODF) in 2019 October but women involvement in the actual process of implementation of the programme is very minimal. Objective of the study was to assess the awareness level & practice of environmental sanitation and hygiene and also to find out the association with demographic variables.

Methods: Present study was conducted in a rural community of Punjab, India in June 2019 among 400 females. Data was collected in a predesigned structured questionnaire and was analyzed using descriptive and analytic statistics.

Results: Most common source of drinking water among the participants was community RO point (54.5%) and method of SWD among the community was dumping (80%). Four out of five participants had the opinion that their village is unclean and improper solid waste disposal (37.3%) was the main reason. 95% of the participants had not participated in any community cleanliness activity also. Participants having higher educational status (p=0.0001), lower & middle class family (p=0.001) and member of small family (p=0.009) had heard significantly more about “Swacha Bharat Abhiyan”.

Conclusions: Policies need to be formulated that enable women to participate in the sanitation interventions. Special focus should be given young, educated women from middle and lower socio economic status so that they become the role model of the society.

Author Biography

Sourabh Paul, Department of Community Medicine, AIIMS, Raeibareli, Uttar Pradesh, India (Ex Assistant Professor, Adesh Institute of Medical Science & Research, Bathinda, Punjab, India), India

Community Medicine

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Published

2020-09-25

How to Cite

Paul, S., Mehera, S., Sidhu, G., Malhotra, V., Sidhu, T. K., & Prajapati, P. (2020). Practice of environmental sanitation and hygiene in the light of “Swacha Bharat Abhiyan”: a study among female residents of rural Punjab, India. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 7(10), 4017–4027. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20204370

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Original Research Articles