Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41612356›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2026

Mapping spatial inequality: unsafe child feces disposal practices across 707 districts in India.

Margubur Rahaman, U Venkatesh, Gurucharan Karmakar, Kunal Keshri, Sanju Purohit, Md Abdul Latif

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Article in BMC public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Margubur RahamanDepartment of Migration & Urban Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, 400088, India. margubur48@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2403-9033
U VenkateshDepartment of Community and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Gorakhpur, 273008, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8059-9364
Gurucharan KarmakarSALAM Centre, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, 400088, India.
Kunal KeshriDepartment of Migration & Urban Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, 400088, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2969-2552
Sanju PurohitDepartment of Environmental/Ecological Studies and Sustainability, Akamai University, San Francisco, USA.
Md Abdul LatifDepartment of Statistics, Liberal College, Luwangsangbam, Imphal, Manipur, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUnsafe child feces disposal is a recognized public health concern linked to adverse child health outcomes. While previous studies have examined its impact, the spatial heterogeneity and determinants of unsafe child feces disposal in India remain underexplored. This study addresses this research gap by investigating the spatial distribution and key factors influencing unsafe disposal practices across Indian districts.

methodThis study utilized data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-2021) to conduct a comprehensive spatial analysis. Univariate and Bivariate Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) clustering were employed to identify spatial patterns of unsafe child feces disposal. To examine the determinants, a Spatial Error Model (SEM) was applied, while Fairlie decomposition was used to quantify the contribution of various factors to regional disparities.

resultsThe Univariate LISA analysis identified 170 hotspot districts characterized by high levels of unsafe child feces disposal, primarily located in Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, and Tamil Nadu. The SEM analysis revealed that maternal education, household wealth, sanitation access, and religious affiliation are significant determinants. Hotspot districts demonstrated a 22% higher likelihood of unsafe disposal compared to cold spots. Decomposition results indicated that household wealth accounted for 65.3% of the observed disparity, followed by sanitation (17.1%), religion (7.4%), media exposure (4.5%), and education (3.2%).

conclusionThis study underscores the pronounced spatial disparities in unsafe child feces disposal across Indian districts. Addressing these disparities requires targeted interventions focusing on improving sanitation, enhancing maternal education, and leveraging media outreach to promote safe disposal practices.

Indexed as

FecesRefuse DisposalChild, PreschoolFemaleHealth SurveysHumansIndiaInfantMaleSanitationSocioeconomic Disparities in HealthSocioeconomic FactorsSpatial AnalysisChild fecesIndiaSpatial heterogeneitySpatial regressionUnsafe disposal

Identifiers

PMID41612356
PMCPMC12924528

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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.