ArticleAmerican journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council2020
"If there is no water, we cannot feed our children": The far-reaching consequences of water insecurity on infant feeding practices and infant health across 16 low- and middle-income countries.
Article in American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 86 citations in OpenAlex.
- Household-level water, sanitation and hygiene factors and interventions and the prevention of relapse after severe acute malnutrition recovery: A systematic review.Maternal & child nutrition · 2024Pooled it
- Hydropower development, resettlement, and urban water security: Evidence from Brazil's Belo Monte Dam.World development · 2026Article
- Nurturing People and Planet: Breastfeeding in Climate Mitigation and Adaptation.Frontiers in sustainable food systems · 2026Article
- Contribution of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Facilities to Maternal Hygiene Practices During Complementary Feeding in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Health science reports · 2026Review
- Dual Burden of Food and Water Insecurity Among SNAP Households with Children in the Southern United States.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Addressing the Impacts of Water Insecurity on Infant Feeding: Policy Solutions for the US.Maternal & child nutrition · 2026Article
- Climate-Water-Food-Nutrition Interaction Across Varying Environmental Contexts: A Population-Representative Analysis of India Data.Nutrients · 2026Article
- A lack of clean drinking water is associated with lacking food and experiencing food safety threats in 121 countries across the globe.Nature food · 2026Article
- Poor Water Quality and Food Insecurity in Ecuador: Disparities in Exposure and Associations With Young Child Feeding Practices.Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics · 2026Article
- Implications of water insecurity for food practices and health in contexts of migration and displacement: evidence from the US-Mexico borderlands.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Household water security and infant feeding practices in Mexico: insights from the ENSANUT 2021 survey.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Interacting Water Insecurity and Food Insecurity: Recent Advances in Theory and Application.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2025Article
- Uncovering the hidden implications of water scarcity for maternal health: a photovoice study in rural Malawi (Thyolo district).Frontiers in global women's health · 2025Article
- Climate change, evolution, and reproductive health: The impact of water insecurity and heat stress on pregnancy and lactation.Evolution, medicine, and public health · 2025Review
- A protocol for the development of a validated scale of household water insecurity in the United States: HWISE-USA.PloS one · 2025Article
- Impact of Heat on Birth Outcomes and Child Nutrition: Study Protocol using the CIDACS Birth Cohort.Wellcome open research · 2025Article
- Implementation Lessons of a Water Insecurity Intervention During a Drought in Mexico.Annals of global health · 2025Article
- Impact of Maternal Body Composition, Hydration, and Metabolic Health on Breastfeeding Success: A Comprehensive Review.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2024Review
- Household food and water insecurity and its association with diarrhoea, respiratory illness, and stunting in Ecuadorian children under 5 years.Maternal & child nutrition · 2024Article
- Water Treatment Practices and Misperceived Social Norms among Women Living with Young Children in Rural Uganda.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesInfant feeding plays a critical role in child health and development. Few studies to date have examined the link between household water insecurity and infant feeding, and none in a cross-cultural context. Therefore, we examined the perceived impact of household water insecurity in four domains: breastfeeding, non-breastmilk feeding, caregiver capabilities, and infant health. Our research was conducted as part of the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) study.
methodsWe interviewed respondents from 19 sites in 16 low- and middle-income countries (N = 3303) about the link between water insecurity and infant feeding. We then thematically analyzed their open-ended textual responses. In each of the four domains (breastfeeding, non-breastmilk feeding, caregiver capabilities, infant health), we inductively identified cross-cultural metathemes. We analyzed the distribution of themes across sites quantitatively and qualitatively.
resultsWater was perceived to directly affect breastfeeding and non-breastmilk feeding via numerous pathways, including timing and frequency of feeding, unclean foods, and reduced dietary diversity. Water was perceived to indirectly affect infant feeding through caregiver capabilities by increasing time demands, exacerbating disease, undernutrition, and mortality, and requiring greater efficacy of caregivers. Respondents made connections between water challenges and infant health, for example, increased risk of infectious diseases, undernutrition, and mortality.
conclusionsThese findings suggest that water presents many, and sometimes unexpected, challenges to infant feeding. By systematically investigating biocultural pathways by which water impacts infant and young child feeding, it will be possible to understand if, and how, water security can be leveraged to improve child nutrition and health.
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Registered trials
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.