How valuable are environmental health interventions? Evaluation of water and sanitation programmes in India
Subhrendu K Pattanayak, Christine Poulos, Jui-Chen Yang & Sumeet Patil
Volume 88, Number 7, July 2010, 535-542
Table 4. Estimated effects of a community demand-directed water, sanitation and hygiene programme on coping costsa and cost of illnessa in the dry and rainy seasons, by subgroup, in Maharasthra, India, 2005 and 2007
| DID analysisb | Overall | BPL | APL | SCST | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry season (May–June) | |||||
| Total monthly household coping costs | −6.98** | −6.24* | −6.52* | −9.64*** | −6.21* |
| Total household cost of illness | 1.25 | −4.85 | 7.02 | −6.71* | 4.96 |
| Household welfare | −5.76 | −11.33** | 0.51 | −16.45*** | −1.28 |
| Rainy season (August–September) | |||||
| Total monthly household coping costs | −0.37 | −0.79 | −1.57 | −6.52 | 1.96 |
| Total household cost of illness | 0.11 | 2.27 | −0.92 | −0.14 | 0.28 |
| Household welfare | −0.53 | 1.04 | −2.62 | −6.51 | 1.83 |
APL, above poverty line; BPL, below poverty line; DID, difference-in-difference; SCST, scheduled caste and scheduled tribe. *P < 0.10; **P < 0.05; ***P < 0.01.
a All coping cost and cost of illness values are adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) and inflated to 2007 United States dollars (US$).20–22 In 2007, the PPP exchange rate was 15.139 Indian rupees for US$ 1.
b DID estimation includes covariates unbalanced at baseline (household knowledge of public health messages regarding handwashing and safe handling and storage of food and water; household belief that having a water supply is a public policy priority; household belief that sanitation is a public health priority; and household participation in the village water and sanitation committee). Standard errors were corrected for clustering at village level.