Seasonality, disease and behavior: Using multiple methods to explore socio-environmental health risks in the Mekong Delta

Few, Roger, Lake, Iain ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4407-5357, Hunter, Paul R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5608-6144 and Tran, Pham Gia (2013) Seasonality, disease and behavior: Using multiple methods to explore socio-environmental health risks in the Mekong Delta. Social Science and Medicine, 80. pp. 1-9. ISSN 0277-9536

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract

Any analysis of how changing environmental hazards impact on public health is fundamentally constrained unless it recognizes the centrality of the social and behavioral dimensions of risk. This paper reports on a research project conducted among low-income peri-urban households in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The research was based on cross-disciplinary inputs to develop a multi-layered understanding of the implications of a dynamic seasonal environment for diarrheal disease risk. It is a widely held assumption that the major changes in the abundance of surface water between the flood and dry seasons in the Mekong Delta are likely to be reflected in the changing patterns of disease risk, especially for poorer households that tend to rely heavily on river water for domestic water use. Therefore, this study investigated seasonal patterns in the contamination of environmental water, incidences of diarrheal illnesses, water use and hygiene behavior, together with perceptions of health risks and seasonality. During the period of October 2007 to October 2008, the UK and Vietnamese research team worked with a total of 120 households in four low-income sites around the city of Long Xuyen to conduct water testing; administer questionnaires on self-reported health, risk perceptions and behavior; and conduct semi-structured interviews. The research team found no overall evidence of a systematic seasonal risk pattern. At the population level, marginal temporal variations in water quality in the environment failed to translate into health outcomes. A complex risk narrative emerged from the interweaving data elements, demonstrating major inter- and intra-household variations in risk perceptions, hygiene behavior, seasonal behavior and other risk factors. It is suggested that these complexities of human behavior and transmission routes challenge simplistic assumptions about change in health outcomes as a result of seasonal environmental changes. These findings demonstrate the key role social science can play in a holistic and critical analysis of environment and health interactions.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Global Development (formerly School of International Development)
Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Water Security Research Centre
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Epidemiology and Public Health
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Climate Change
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Global Environmental Justice
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Health and Disease
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Public Health and Health Services Research (former - to 2023)
University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Social Sciences
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Population Health
Depositing User: Pure Connector
Date Deposited: 05 Oct 2013 00:53
Last Modified: 19 Oct 2023 01:10
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/43448
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.12.027

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item