ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2025
Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) factors and the incidence of communicable diseases in Urban Bangladesh: Evidence from municipal areas.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Safe Drinking Water and Its Impact on Children's Growth and Development: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Pooled it
- Parental socioeconomic and perceptual determinants of early childhood caries amongst Myanmar preschool children.European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSafe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are crucial for health and development, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where WASH-related diseases are prevalent. Bangladesh, with high poverty rates and a large population, faces significant WASH challenges. This study examines the association between hygiene-related factors and communicable diseases in two Bangladeshi municipalities.
methodA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from June 1 to July 30, 2021, in Savar and Satkhira municipalities, chosen for their diverse socioeconomic and geographic characteristics. A stratified random sampling method targeted poor, marginalised, and socially excluded populations. A total of 607 interviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire, collecting data on socio-demographics, hygiene practices, and disease history. Participants were included if they were adults (aged 18 or older), had resided in the municipality for at least one year, and provided informed consent to participate. Data were analysed using SPSS, employing chi-square tests and logistic regression to assess associations between variables.
resultsThe study revealed that 24.1% of participants had a communicable disease, with diarrhoea being the most common. Significant predictors of communicable diseases included gender, with females being more likely affected (OR: 3.21, 95% CI: 1.19 to 8.66, p = 0.003), and the source of drinking water, with tube well users at higher risk (OR: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.13 to 7.02, p = 0.015). Poor hand hygiene significantly increased disease risk (OR: 12.31, 95% CI: 2.86 to 53.03, p < 0.001).
conclusionsCommunicable diseases are prevalent in Bangladeshi municipalities, primarily driven by poor WASH conditions. Enhancing access to safe drinking water and implementing community-based WASH interventions, such as hygiene education campaigns, improved sanitation infrastructure, and school-based awareness programs, are vital for reducing the disease burden. Further research should explore the effectiveness and scalability of these targeted strategies.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.