Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25055716›Full record

Trial reportTropical medicine & international health : TM & IH2014

Assessing the impact of a school-based latrine cleaning and handwashing program on pupil absence in Nyanza Province, Kenya: a cluster-randomized trial.

Bethany A Caruso, Matthew C Freeman, Joshua V Garn, Robert Dreibelbis, Shadi Saboori, Richard Muga, Richard Rheingans

Open access · bronzeAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
38citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
2.6field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

38 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 68 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  4. Hand-washing promotion for preventing diarrhoea.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021
    Pooled it
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  7. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools in Low-Income Countries: A Review of Evidence of Impact.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019
    Pooled it
  8. A Systematic Review: Costing and Financing of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2017
    Pooled it
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  10. Hand washing promotion for preventing diarrhoea.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015
    Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Bethany A CarusoDepartment of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Global Safe Water at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Matthew C Freeman
Joshua V Garn
Robert Dreibelbis
Shadi Saboori
Richard Muga
Richard Rheingans
Emory University · USGreat Lakes University of Kisumu · KEUniversity of Florida Health Science Center · USUniversity of Oklahoma · US

Funding

Training in Reproductive, Perinatal, Pediatric EpidemiologyT32HD052460 · NICHD · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI DREWS-BOTSCH, CAROLYN DAWSON · 2006 to 2015
$2.2M
NICHD NIH HHS T32 HD052460
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesImproving school water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions reduces pupil absence and illness. However, these benefits may depend on the conditions of the latrines and availability of consumables. We sought to determine whether a low-cost, policy-relevant, environmental-level latrine cleaning intervention could improve latrine cleanliness, increase its use and reduce absenteeism.

methodsIn a three-arm, cluster-randomized trial we assessed absence via periodical roll-call among 17 564 pupils in 60 schools that had previously received WASH improvements as part of the SWASH+ project. Latrine conditions and use were also assessed using structured observation. Latrine cleanliness increased significantly during the post-intervention period among schools receiving the latrine cleaning package compared to controls, as did handwashing with soap. We found no difference in latrine use and absence across arms.

conclusionsThe additive impact of cleaning may not have been strong enough to impact absence above and beyond reductions attributable to the original WASH infrastructure improvements and basic hygiene education the schools previously received. Improving latrine conditions is important for the dignity and well-being of pupils, and investments and strategies are necessary to ensure that school toilets are clean and pupil-friendly.

Indexed as

AbsenteeismDisinfectionHand DisinfectionHygieneSanitationSchoolsToilet FacilitiesChildDiarrheaFemaleHumansKenyaMaleSoapsStudentsWaterSoapsWaterabsenceassainissementausentismocolegioécolehandwashingHigienehygienehygiènelatrine uselavado de manoslavage des mainssaneamientosanitationschooluso de letrinasutilisation des latrines

Identifiers

PMID25055716
PMCPMC4876949
OpenAlexW2099300372

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.