Inadequate Access to Potable Water Impacts Early Childhood Development in Low-Income Areas in Cape Town, South Africa

Caradee Y Wright; Thandi Kapwata; Caylee Cook; Steven J Howard; Hleliwe Makaula; Rebecca Merkley; Mbulelo Mshudulu; Nosibusiso Tshetu; Natasha Naidoo; Gaia Scerif; Catherine E Draper

doi:10.5334/aogh.4281

Inadequate Access to Potable Water Impacts Early Childhood Development in Low-Income Areas in Cape Town, South Africa

Ann Glob Health. 2023 Nov 24;89(1):82. doi: 10.5334/aogh.4281. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Caradee Y Wright^{1

2}, Thandi Kapwata^{3

4}, Caylee Cook⁵, Steven J Howard⁶, Hleliwe Makaula⁵, Rebecca Merkley⁷, Mbulelo Mshudulu⁵, Nosibusiso Tshetu⁵, Natasha Naidoo¹, Gaia Scerif⁸, Catherine E Draper⁵

Affiliations

¹ Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, ZA.
² Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, ZA.
³ Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Johannesburg, ZA.
⁴ Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Environmental Health, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, ZA.
⁵ SAMRC-Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, ZA.
⁶ Early Start and School of Education, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, AU.
⁷ Department of Cognitive Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, CA.
⁸ Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Abstract

Background: Water and sanitation are vital to human health and well-being. While these factors have been studied in relation to health, very little has been done to consider such environmental risk factors with child development. Here, we investigated possible relations between household water access/storage and early childhood development in four low-income settlements in the City of Cape Town, Western Cape province of South Africa. Our objectives were 1) to determine water access/storage practices in dwellings of children; 2) to assess early childhood development; and 3) and to understand the relationship between water access/storage practices in relation to early childhood development.

Methods: We used a questionnaire to assess household water risk factors and the International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) tool to assess child early learning / cognitive, socio-emotional and motor development.

Results: Mean age of the children (N = 192) was 4 years and 55% were female. The mean IDELA score was 48% (range: 36-54%) where the higher the score, the better the child's development. Around 70% of households had a tap inside their dwelling and half said that they stored water with the largest percentage of storage containers (21%) being plastic/no lid. Child IDELA scores were lower for children living in households that did not have an indoor tap and for households who stored water.

Conclusions: Given the risks associated with climate change and the already poor conditions many children face regarding water and sanitation, research is needed to further investigate these relations to provide evidence to support appropriate interventions and ensure healthy child development.

Keywords: IDELA; child health; climate change; education; environmental health; mental health; vulnerability.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Child
Child Development
Child, Preschool
Drinking Water*
Female
Humans
Male
Poverty
Poverty Areas
South Africa

Substances

Drinking Water

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the British Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences (Grant number ECE190051). CYW and TK receive research funding from the South African Medical Research Council.