Impact of providing in-home water service on the rates of infectious diseases: results from four communities in Western Alaska

Journal of Water and Health
Timothy K ThomasThomas Hennessy

Abstract

Approximately 20% of rural Alaskan homes lack in-home piped water; residents haul water to their homes. The limited quantity of water impacts the ability to meet basic hygiene needs. We assessed rates of infections impacted by water quality (waterborne, e.g. gastrointestinal infections) and quantity (water-washed, e.g. skin and respiratory infections) in communities transitioning to in-home piped water. Residents of four communities consented to a review of medical records 3 years before and after their community received piped water. We selected health encounters with ICD-9CM codes for respiratory, skin and gastrointestinal infections. We calculated annual illness episodes for each infection category after adjusting for age. We obtained 5,477 person-years of observation from 1032 individuals. There were 9,840 illness episodes with at least one ICD-9CM code of interest; 8,155 (83%) respiratory, 1,666 (17%) skin, 241 (2%) gastrointestinal. Water use increased from an average 1.5 gallons/capita/day (g/c/d) to 25.7 g/c/d. There were significant (P-value < 0.05) declines in respiratory (16, 95% confidence interval (CI): 11-21%), skin (20, 95%CI: 10-30%), and gastrointestinal infections (38, 95%CI: 13-55%). We demonstrated significa...Continue Reading

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Citations

Apr 28, 2016·International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health·Alycia OverboJamie Bartram
Jul 31, 2016·Public Health·M BruceA Koch
Aug 2, 2016·International Journal of Circumpolar Health·Lori E A BradfordLalita A Bharadwaj
Mar 30, 2017·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Korie A HickelJohn A Warren
Nov 30, 2016·Science and Engineering Ethics·Dena Fam, Zoë Sofoulis
Oct 27, 2018·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Pernille Erland JensenRoland Kallenborn
Jun 22, 2017·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Laura Eichelberger
Feb 1, 2019·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Richard J GeltingDavid M Gute
Jun 14, 2019·Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine·Zemichael GizawMulugeta Bayisa Chala
May 4, 2017·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·David C Shoults, Nicholas J Ashbolt
Nov 10, 2020·Environmental Management·Antonia SohnsBrian E Robinson
May 15, 2021·Environmental Monitoring and Assessment·Geethani Eragoda Arachchilage AmarawanshaAnnemieke Farenhorst
Jun 4, 2021·Environmental Engineering Science·Kaitlin J MattosKarl G Linden
Aug 23, 2021·International Journal of Infectious Diseases : IJID : Official Publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases·Michael G BruceRosalyn J Singleton

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