Hygiene Practice and Health Status of the Rural Women: A Study of a Village in the Northern Region of Bangladesh

Abstract

A common awareness on Sanitation, Health and Hygiene is examined a very disappointing situation among the rural women of the selected households. Illiteracy and un-consciousness, some in cases ignorance and poverty are the remarkable causes for these circumstances. Local culture and traditional movement for cases found as significant root causes for existing low Water, Sanitation and downbeat health promotion and practice. The research study has applied to find out the facts of lacks, gaps, causes and effects to meet the proper hygienic situation; chiefly the rural household women those who are directly connected with food processing, distribution and other vital domestic tasks as well. This study is taken place in Kauafanda village of Gojghonta union under Gongachara sub-district (Upazila) of Rangpur district. A total 100 households are selected for this study where the housewives are considered as the key respondents. The study raveled the remarkable findings as follows: ◊ Among the households, 80% are dependents on the agriculture direct or indirectly. This is commonly a below poverty line area and their concentration is centered to only be alive containing the basic needs than health and sanitation. This is a disaster prone revering area where most of the households are affected by river erosion by Tista. ◊ The respondents conception on safe water and Hygienic latrine, these consequences over health and environment is found very low and substandard. Their health status is stating at low level where health consciousness, treatment tendency is covered some traditional moods, believes and cultures found touched with local orthodox. As a result, they became looser in financial aspects which effected over all their livelihoods. ◊ In the questions of Hygiene promotion, Hand washing after different critical times treated as very important to keep the hygiene promotion habits continue. The respondent households are covered negligence and ignorance habits of hand washing and other sector of Hygiene as well. Food Hygiene, Environmental hygiene is also got lack of awareness and education on proper practices found. The main sensitive factor of women is the Menstrual Hygiene which reflects a narrow and unsatisfactory scenario in this study. Women are still using the rags, managing those in dark and dirty places. They are facing different respiratory track infectious diseases all the time, Loosing work forces and other interventions of life, declining financial strength. The study is a symbol of rural women as well as the rural living standard of Health and Hygiene, though the women are the actors here, but this is generally habituated conditions of the rural villagers. Sanitation movement and Health status improvement is obviously difficult with exists of this scenario. The study has given some recommendations in different parts of its discussion.