Take the Poo to the Loo: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Stunting and Open Defecation in India

Abstract: The present study addresses the relationship between stunting and open defecation in India, 2015. The lack of proper sanitation allows pathogens to spread and generate fecal transmissible illnesses (FTIs), hence hampering the correct absorption of nutrients in the body and the consequent child’s development. The expectation is that a higher open defecation rate is associated with a higher stunting prevalence. Moreover, being open defecation practices embedded within Hinduism, the Muslim population is expected to be negatively correlated with stunting prevalence. The results confirm the positive relationship between stunting and open defecation, whereas being Muslim does not seem to be significantly related with stunting prevalence. Increasing resources should be invested to introduce adequate sanitation in the country, thus ensuring the proper development of its human capital.