HEALTH, HYGIENE AND MATERNAL EDUCATION - EVIDENCE FROM THE GAMBIA

The paper explores the ways in which women's education influences dome stic hygiene practices and use of health care services in a traditiona l agricultural village in The Gambia. The ''environment of health'' is one of poverty, high morbidity and low levels of female literacy. A d etailed household survey was undertaken in the rainy season when agric ultural work is demanding of people's time and energy and morbidity ra tes are high. Mothers with and without formal education and with at le ast one child under 5 were included in the study. Small differences we re found between the educated and uneducated group in the knowledge an d practice of household hygiene. The healthcare services in the villag e were utilised by all women regardless of whether or not they had bee n to school, but educated mothers appeared to have a better understand ing of health education messages. The case study illustrates the syner gy between health, hygiene and maternal education and discusses the im plications of the findings. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.