Pattern of child faeces management and disposable diaper usage among under-fives in an Urban Slum of Bandung, Indonesia

Abstract

Children's faecal waste is a major environmental health issue despite increasing access to sanitation facilities and sanitary products in Indonesia. This cross-sectional study investigated child faecal management practice and disposable diaper usage among under-fives living in an urban slum of Indonesia. Data on household socio-demographics, child characteristics, and child faeces management practices were collected from 184 randomly selected pairs of mothers and children through interviews and observations. Findings revealed children's common defaecation sites as improved toilet, disposable diaper, and reusable diaper at 33.7, 33.2, and 16.3%, respectively. However, hygienic child faeces disposal was at 45%. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that the common use of disposable diapers and bathroom floor as the child's defaecation site increased unhygienic disposal. This prevalence decreased for mothers with higher education and those who had initiated toilet training. Promoting mothers' disposal of child faeces from disposable diapers, preventing child defaecation on the bathroom floor, and initiating toilet training as soon as a child can walk alone are thus potential interventions. HIGHLIGHTS The study explored faecal management trends of under-fives in an urban Indonesian slum.; Disposable diapers were a shortcut for mothers' unhygienic disposal practices.; Water bodies and trash bins were the preferred disposal sites for diapers.; Adult toilets were preferred for the initiation of child toilet training.; The bathroom floor was a common yet ultimately unhygienic defaecation site; mothers considered it safer.;

Keywords

• child faeces
• disposable diapers
• hygiene
• sanitation
• toilet training
• urban slum