Laboratoire d’Application en Modélisation, Nutrition et Sciences des Aliments (LAMONSA), Département de Nutrition et Sciences Agro-Alimentaires, Faculté d’Agronomie, Université de Parakou, BP: 123 Parakou, Benin
Despite the real progress in the field of nutrition in Benin, malnutrition remains a major public health problem in the commune of Karimama. It affects hundreds of children in all its forms. Indeed, the municipality of Karimama has the highest rate of malnutrition in the department of Alibori with 11.9% acute malnutrition and 39% chronic malnutrition among children under five years old according to the nutritional survey. This study aims to determine water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) behaviors and their influence on undernutrition in children under five. From a descriptive and cross analysis, the absence of a healthy environment, including water, hygiene and sanitation favors infections which create a vicious circle between the living environment and malnutrition. Thus, the factors associated with infections are significantly (p<0.01) related to the source of water supply, household waste management, hand washing and open defecation. Encouraging better integration of WASH actions into strategies to combat undernutrition would considerably reduce the persistence of malnutrition in the commune of Karimama.