The DOI matches its Crossref record; 69 of the 70 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Domestic water carrying and its implications for health: a review and mixed methods pilot study in Limpopo Province, South Africa
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Lack of access to safe water remains a significant risk factor for poor health in developing countries. There has been little research into the health effects of frequently carrying containers of water. The aims of this study were to better understand how domestic water carrying is performed, identify potential health risk factors and gain insight into the possible health effects of the task. METHODS: Mixed methods of data collection from six were used to explore water carrying performed by people in six rural villages of Limpopo Province, South Africa. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and through observation and measurement. Linear regression modelling were used to identify significant correlations between potential risk factors and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) or self reported pain. Independent t-tests were used to compare the mean values of potential risk factors and RPE between sub-groups reporting pain and those not reporting pain. RESULTS: Water carrying was mainly performed by women or children carrying containers on their head (mean container weight 19.5 kg) over a mean distance of 337 m. The prevalence of spinal (neck or back) pain was 69% and back pain was 38%. Of participants who carried water by head loading, the distance walked by those who reported spinal pain was significantly less than those who did not (173 m 95%CI 2-343; p = 0.048). For head loaders reporting head or neck pain compared to those who did not, the differences in weight of water carried (4.6 kg 95%CI -9.7-0.5; p = 0.069) and RPE (2.5 95%CI -5.1-0.1; p = 0.051) were borderline statistically significant. For head loaders, RPE was significantly correlated with container weight (r = 0.52; p = 0.011) and incline (r = 0.459; p = 0.018) CONCLUSIONS: Typical water carrying methods impose physical loading with potential to produce musculoskeletal disorders and related disability. This exploratory study is limited by a small sample size and future research should aim to better understand the type and strength of association between water carrying and health, particularly musculoskeletal disorders. However, these preliminary findings suggest that efforts should be directed toward eliminating the need for water carrying, or where it must continue, identifying and reducing risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders and physical injury.
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“First, women and children are generally responsible for water collection in many SSA countries.”
From An Analysis of Water Collection Labor among Women and Children in 24 Sub-Saharan African Countries (2016) · cites this paper as [10]
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Burden of disability due to musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders
MARCH, L. M., Smith, E. U. R., Hoy, D. G., Cross, M., Sànchez-Riera, L., Blyth, F., Buchbinder, R., Vos, T., & Woolf, A. D. (2014) · Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology · doi:10.1016/j.berh.2014.08.002 · Cited by 538
An Analysis of Water Collection Labor among Women and Children in 24 Sub-Saharan African Countries
Graham, J. P., Hirai, M., & Kim, S.-S. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0155981 · Cited by 300
“spent collecting water and their health–more trips per day was worse for their health [10].”
BackgroundInfluentialHoy, D. G., Smith, E. U. R., Cross, M., Sànchez-Riera, L., Blyth, F., Buchbinder, R., Woolf, A. D., Driscoll, T., Brooks, P., & MARCH, L. M. (2014) · Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases · doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-205393 · Cited by 270
Water, sanitation, hygiene and enteric infections in children
Brown, J., Cairncross, S., & Ensink, J. H. J. (2013) · Archives of Disease in Childhood · doi:10.1136/archdischild-2011-301528 · Cited by 265
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Metadata
- Authors
- Geere, J.-A. L., Hunter, P. R., & Jagals, P.
- Affiliations
- University of East Anglia (GB)
- Tshwane University of Technology (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- Hunter, Paul R
- Venue
- Environmental Health
- Published
- 2010-08-26
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 52-52
- ISSN
- 1476-069X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2939590
- OpenAlex
- W2121916445
- Cited by
- 182
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 7.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Environmental Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Water Research Commission
- Tshwane University of Technology
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Human Factors and Ergonomics › Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Occupational Health and Performance
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Keywords
- water carrying, musculoskeletal disorders, back pain, neck pain, perceived exertion, physical workload, women and children, rural villages, Limpopo Province, safe water access
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Back Pain, Child, Female, Humans, Male, Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena, Pilot Projects, Risk Factors, South Africa, Water, Weight Lifting, Neck Pain, Young Adult
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