The effect of water quality testing on household behavior: evidence from an experiment in rural India.
Am J Trop Med Hyg
; 87(1): 18-22, 2012 Jul.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22764286
ABSTRACT
How does specific information about contamination in a household's drinking water affect water handling behavior? We randomly split a sample of households in rural Andhra Pradesh, India. The treatment group observed a contamination test of the drinking water in their own household storage vessel; while they were waiting for their results, they were also provided with a list of actions that they could take to remedy contamination if they tested positive. The control group received no test or guidance. The drinking water of nearly 90% of tested households showed evidence of contamination by fecal bacteria. They reacted by purchasing more of their water from commercial sources but not by making more time-intensive adjustments. Providing salient evidence of risk increases demand for commercial clean water.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Rural Population
/
Water Supply
/
Family Characteristics
Type of study:
Guideline
Aspects:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
Am J Trop Med Hyg
Year:
2012
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: