AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY TO ASSESS THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STATUS OF CHILDREN IN SELECTED ANGANWADI CENTERS AT GWALIOR

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the environmental health status of children between the ages of 2 to 6 years coming to Anganwadi centers in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh with particular reference to sanitation, water, and waste. A cross-sectional observational design was used, and 150 children and their corresponding Anganwadi centers were selected by the use of stratified random sampling. The investigators used self-developed structured questionnaires to obtain data from the caregiver and Anganwadi worker respondents, and checklists for the physical assessment of the environmental conditions of the centers. The correlations between environmental factors and child health outcomes were tested by descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that there were huge differences between the rural and urban areas with the urban areas having relatively better sanitation facilities, water quality, and waste disposal systems. Large-scale statistical analysis revealed that there is a significant association between environmental quality and childhood diseases with sanitation having the strongest relationship (r = 0.72), followed by water (r = 0.65) and waste disposal (r = 0.58). These findings underscore the need for enhancing the physical environment of Anganwadi centers, especially in rural settings to enhance the health of children. The findings of the study point to the direction that it is imperative to tailor the intervention to improve sanitation, water, and waste disposal in the Anganwadi centers. More future studies should be conducted on long-term outcomes of environmental changes on child health taking into consideration other determinants of child development such as nutrition and immunization.