Diffusion of ideas about personal hygiene and contamination in poor countries: evidence from Guatemala

In this paper, we explore the diffusion of beliefs pertaining to the causes of childhood diarrhea in rural Guatemala. The analysis focuses on the impo rtance of interpersonal and impersonal contacts as conduits for information and norms related to hygiene and contamination, Estimates from multivariat e models reveal that there is evidence of a diffusion process through socia l contacts, primarily through interpersonal ones. The analysis also identif ies striking differences between (1) the diffusion process related to hygie ne (e.g. dirtiness) and that related to contamination (e.g. pathogens); and (2) beliefs about the causes of diarrheal illness among children in genera l and those among respondents' own children. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.