Perceptions of water insecurity from urban and peri-urban Haiti: A quantitative analysis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 14; no. 4; p. e0214789
• Main Authors: Wood, Elizabeth A, Douglas, Hannah, Fiore, Andrew J, Bernier, Robinson, Chapman, Kelly S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 24-04-2019; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Accessibility; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Child, Preschool; Cholera; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Demographics; Drinking Water; Earthquakes; Family Characteristics; Female; Haiti; Health aspects; Households; Humans; Hygiene; Infant; International organizations; Male; Metropolitan areas; Middle Aged; Public health; Quantitative analysis; Quantitative research; Regression analysis; Rural areas; Safety and security measures; Sanitation; Security; Seismic engineering; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urban areas; Urban Population; Water; Water quality; Water Resources - supply & distribution; Water security; Water Supply - economics; Water Supply - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult; Haiti; Cambodia; United States > US
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214789

Safe drinking water access has continued to be a growing issue in Haiti. Water accessibility, availability, and quality can have severe implications on health and safety, with those in urban areas often having more access. Key differences relating to water accessibility can be seen between the urban and peri-urban areas of Haiti. One major objective of this research is to examine the disparities between the two areas and determine limiting and enabling factors that are contributing to the perceived access to clean water. A cross-cultural household water insecurity experiences (HWISE) survey (n = 499) was distributed to determine barriers and accessibility to sufficient water quality and quantity at the household level. This paper explores the relationship between water insecurity between two urban and peri-urban communes in Haiti using this data. Fisher's Exact and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to identify significant differences between strata, and logistic regression was used to determine significant associations with water security outcomes. Results indicated there were differences in both the costs and the sources of drinking and non-drinking water between urban and peri-urban Haiti. Certain demographic and behavioral characteristics were associated with increased water insecurity, including a household size greater than five and experiencing injury during collection.