Prevalence of Skin and Gastrointestinal Infections Associated with Contaminated Water in Coastal Sindh: A Cross-Sectional Study
Epidemiology of Waterborne Skin and GI Infections
Keywords:
Diarrhea, Gastrointestinal Diseases, Public Health, Skin Diseases, Water Borne DiseasesAbstract
Background: Water-borne diseases are still a significant preventable cause of morbidity in low-income coastal communities. The reliance on unprotected surface water sources is associated with gastrointestinal and skin infections in coastal areas of Sindh, Pakistan. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of these infections and the relationship between them and drinking water sources and sanitation facilities for coastal populations.
Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in coastal districts of Badin, Thatta and Sujawal, recruited 385 participants by convenience sampling. Questionnaire-based data were gathered on sociodemographic factors, water consumption habits, sanitation facilities and self-reported infections. Gastrointestinal symptoms that fulfilled the WHO criteria and dermatological symptoms from water contacts were defined as outcome measures. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Chi-square test (p<0.05) through IBM SPSS version 26.
Results: 67.8% of participants reported gastrointestinal infections, with diarrhea being the most frequently reported symptom (48.8%). Skin infections were reported by 50.9%, mainly rashes and pruritus (34.3%). Gastrointestinal and skin infections were seen concurrently in 37.4% of the participants. There were significant relationships between gastrointestinal infections and the sources of primary drinking water (χ²=32.84, p<0.001) and drinking water source and skin infections (χ²=22.61, p<0.001), especially among users of canal or drain water.
Conclusion: The residents of coastal Sindh showed a high prevalence of gastrointestinal and skin infections, which were strongly linked to the use of unprotected water sources and poor sanitation. There is an urgent need to improve access to safe water, sanitation and promote hygiene.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Ayaz Latif, Dr. Abdul Sattar Chandio, Dr. Nazir Ahmed Rind, Dr. Imtiaz Khuwaja
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