Correlates of Drinking Water Treatment with Chlorine_Based Products Among Caregives of Children Under 5 in Liberia

To identify the correlates of water purification using chlorine-based products among mothers and caregivers of children under five, data from a representative sample of 2,100 caregivers with children under five were analyzed. Simple frequencies and logistic regression analyses were used for data analysis. Of the 1,995 mothers and caregivers of children under five who completed the interview, 71% lived in rural areas, 68% were married, 51% had never been to school and 40% were 25 to 34 years old. Despite the high level of knowledge about the health risk of drinking dirty water in this population, only 13% of them reported treating water with chlorine-based products (such as WaterGuard). Caregivers who had a high level of education (secondary or more), knew that water treatment products (WaterGuard) were readily available (availability), or were aware that their neighbors used these products to purify their water (social norms), those who had been counseled by friends to purify their water with WaterGuard (social support), or were convinced that these products get rid of harmful contaminants (response efficacy) were more likely than their counterparts to treat their drinking water with chlorine-based products. To improve water purification practices in Liberia, efforts should be made to support the distribution channels which make water treatment products more accessible to both urban and rural caregivers, and organize   activities (role play, MVU) promoting social norm and social support.