Establishment of methodology for human outdoor defecation survey: A field reserach in schistosomiasis emdemic area in rural Asia

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25570015
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Area studies
• Research Institution: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature
• Principal Investigator: JIANG HONGWEI 総合地球環境学研究所, 研究部, 外来研究員 (50436573)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): NISHIMOTO Futoshi 長崎大学, 大学院熱帯医学グローバルヘルス研究科, 助教 (60442539) ; ISHIYAMA Shun 総合地球環境学研究所, 研究部, 研究員 (10508865) ; FUKUSHI Yuki 総合地球環境学研究所, 研究戦略推進センター, 拠点研究員 (60581288) ; MINAMOTO Toshifumi 神戸大学, 人間発達環境学研究科, 特命助教 (50450656)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 中国 / ラオス / 住血吸虫症 / 加速度計 / 野外排便

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, we targeted open defecation behavior in developing countries, which is an important cause of infectious diseases (e.g., diarrhea, schistosomiasis and liver fluke). In target area Laos and Dongting Lake of China, while performing field survey, we tried to establish a method for investigating human open defecation behavior. During the period of study, basing on activity data collected by potable GPS and accelerometer, we revealed time-spatial pattern of open defecation behavior in target area, and developed computer program to estimate defecation activity by accelerometer records. These results could contribute an effective and reliable method to the control of schistosomiasis, diarrhea and other infectious disease derived by water body contamination of feces. In addition, our results indicated that, the water contamination deriving from cattle-grazing would be an important theme to control schistosomiasis in Donting Lake area.

Free Research Field

複合新領域