Associations between Self-Reported Gastrointestinal Illness and Water System Characteristics in Community Water Supplies in Rural Alabama: A Cross-Sectional Study

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dc.contributor.authorStauber, Christine E.
dc.contributor.authorWedgworth, Jessica C.
dc.contributor.authorJohnson, Pauline
dc.contributor.authorOlson, Julie B.
dc.contributor.authorAyers, Tracy
dc.contributor.authorElliott, Mark
dc.contributor.authorBrown, Joe
dc.contributor.otherGeorgia State University
dc.contributor.otherUniversity of Alabama Tuscaloosa
dc.contributor.otherGeorgia Institute of Technology
dc.date.accessioned2023-10-02T15:17:46Z
dc.date.available2023-10-02T15:17:46Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractBackground Community water supplies in underserved areas of the United States may be associated with increased microbiological contamination and risk of gastrointestinal disease. Microbial and health risks affecting such systems have not been systematically characterized outside outbreak investigations. The objective of the study was to evaluate associations between self-reported gastrointestinal illnesses (GII) and household-level water supply characteristics. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of water quality, water supply characteristics, and GII in 906 households served by 14 small and medium-sized community water supplies in Alabama's underserved Black Belt region. Results We identified associations between respondent-reported water supply interruption and any symptoms of GII (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.65-5.49), as well as low water pressure and any symptoms of GII (aOR: 4.51, 95% CI = 2.5-57.97). We also identified associations between measured water quality such as lack of total chlorine and any symptoms of GII (aOR: 5.73, 95% CI = 1.09-30.1), and detection of E. coli in water samples and increased reports of vomiting (aOR: 5.01, 95% CI = 1.62-15.52) or diarrhea (aOR: 7.75, 95% CI = 2.06-29.15). Conclusions Increased self-reported GII was associated with key water system characteristics as measured at the point of sampling in a cross-sectional study of small and medium water systems in rural Alabama in 2012 suggesting that these water supplies can contribute to endemic gastro-intestinal disease risks. Future studies should focus on further characterizing and managing microbial risks in systems facing similar challenges.en_US
dc.format.mediumelectronic
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationStauber, C. E., Wedgworth, J. C., Johnson, P., Olson, J. B., Ayers, T., Elliott, M., & Brown, J. (2016). Associations between Self-Reported Gastrointestinal Illness and Water System Characteristics in Community Water Supplies in Rural Alabama: A Cross-Sectional Study. In M. Kirk (Ed.), PLOS ONE (Vol. 11, Issue 1, p. e0148102). Public Library of Science (PLoS). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0148102
dc.identifier.doi10.1371/journal.pone.0148102
dc.identifier.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7835-0612
dc.identifier.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4140-3263
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/12601
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherPLOS
dc.rights.licenseCC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
dc.subjectDRINKING-WATER
dc.subjectBOTTLED WATER
dc.subjectBLACK-BELT
dc.subjectRISK
dc.subjectINTERVENTION
dc.subjectQUALITY
dc.subjectHEALTH
dc.subjectMultidisciplinary Sciences
dc.titleAssociations between Self-Reported Gastrointestinal Illness and Water System Characteristics in Community Water Supplies in Rural Alabama: A Cross-Sectional Studyen_US
dc.typeArticle
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