Improved Sanitation Facilities are Associated with Higher Body Mass Index and Higher Hemoglobin Concentration among Rural Cambodian Women in the First Trimester of Pregnancy

This study assessed the role of sanitation on nutrition outcomes and anemia status in pregnant Cambodian women. The authors found that women who used an ‘improved’ sanitation facility had higher Body Mass Index (BMI), as well as higher hemoglobin concentration, compared to women who used ‘non-improved’ facilities. Likewise, poor sanitation was linked to higher rates of anemia, even after adjusting for parity, week of gestation, demographic variables, source of drinking water, and iron folic acid supplementation. This observed correlation highlights the value of sanitation in addressing anemia.