Healthy Networks Water Treatment Study (HNWT)

This study is a non-randomized double cohort study evaluating the impact of social network-based water treatment education on sustained household water treatment behaviors over 12 months of follow up. A three-session curriculum was developed on the spread of water borne illness, water treatment methods, and the role of social support in water treatment. Participants in the intervention arm will receive this curriculum in a group setting, where group members are self-selected members of the study participants' social networks. Participants in the comparison arm will receive the same curriculum taught at the individual household level. All participants will receive CeraMaji ceramic filters for use in household water treatment after participating in the three sessions. Research staff will conduct surveys and water quality testing over a period of 12 months to determine whether participants continue to use the ceramic filters. Investigators hypothesize that social network-based training on household water treatment will result in a higher proportion of households using ceramic filters at 6- and 12-months as compared to households receiving individual training.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Household Water Treatment; Waterborne Illness
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Microclinic Water Program; Behavioral: Household education

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 150
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Kenya
  • Nyanza
    • Kitawi Beach, Mfangano Island, Nyanza, Kenya
      • Ekialo Kiona Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participant in the Mfangano Island Healthy Networks Impact Study
• Resident of Mfangano Island in the East or North sub-locations
• 18 years of age or older
• Conversant in DhoLuo or English

Exclusion Criteria:

• none

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention; Participant households in this arm are eligible for participation in the social network-based water treatment education program (referred to as the Microclinic Water Program). Participant households who do not enroll in the Microclinic Water Program receive household-based education identical to that of the 'comparison' arm.	Behavioral: Microclinic Water Program; Three session educational program is delivered to study participants and their self-selected social networks in a group setting. The three session topics are the spread of water borne illness, water treatment methods and social support for sustaining household water treatment. Sessions are taught by a trained community health worker and a study staff member.
Active Comparator: Comparison; Participant households in this arm receive household drinking water treatment education at the household level.	Behavioral: Household education; Three session educational program is delivered to study participants at an individual household level. The three session topics are the spread of water borne illness, water treatment methods and social support for sustaining household water treatment. Sessions are taught by a trained community health worker and a study staff member.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Ceramic filter use	'use' defined as 1) self-reported use in the three days prior to the survey, 2) presence of filter in household and 3) presence of water/moisture in the filter indicating recent use	6 months post-intervention
Ceramic filter use	'use' defined as 1) self-reported use in the three days prior to the survey, 2) presence of filter in household and 3) presence of water/moisture in the filter indicating recent use	12 months post-intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Fecal coliforms	fecal coliforms will be measured in drinking water stored in participant households using the IDEXX QuantiTray 2000 system.	6 months post-intervention
Fecal coliforms	fecal coliforms will be measured in drinking water stored in participant households using the IDEXX QuantiTray 2000 system.	12 months post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco
• Collaborators: Kenya Medical Research Institute; Organic Health Response; Microclinic International
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Bukusi, MBChB, M.Med, Kenya Medical Research Institute; Principal Investigator: Matthew D Hickey, MD Candidate, University of California, San Francisco; Principal Investigator: Charles R Salmen, MSc, MD Candidate, University of California, San Francisco

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Organic Health Response HNWT page

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 22, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 22, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): July 25, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): July 31, 2014
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 30, 2014
• Last Verified: July 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: social network; Household water treatment; Waterborne illness; ceramic filters
• Other Study ID Numbers: HNWT