Giving Compass' Take:
- Corrie Pikul reports that boil water alerts in Jackson, Mississippi increased unexcused absence rates at local public schools.
- What role can you play in supporting those affected by unsafe water in childhood? What systemic changes are needed to prevent water contamination in the future?
- Learn how floods and racism led to Jackson's water crisis.
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Research comparing boil water alerts and unexcused absence rates in Jackson, Mississippi’s public schools shows the wide-ranging effects of water contamination on children’s health.
When a team of researchers tried to gather data about the health effects of the longstanding water contamination crisis in Jackson, little was available, even on the toxicity of the water supply. They turned to two sources that were accessible—school attendance records and public safety alerts that advised residents to boil water before use.
The team’s analysis of this information in a study in Nature Water shows how boil water alerts significantly disrupted student learning: Each time an alert was issued, unexcused absence rates in Jackson’s public schools increased between 1% and 10%.
Chronic school absenteeism affects not only a child’s academic record, but also their health and well-being, says lead author Erica Walker, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown University. Research shows that chronic absenteeism is associated with increased likelihood of poverty and decreases in mental and physical health.
“We’re talking about much larger repercussions than gastrointestinal illness from drinking unsafe water,” Walker says. “These findings show how chronic exposure to contaminated water over time can negatively affect the trajectory of a child’s life.”
The water crisis in Jackson has made global headlines as a major environmental catastrophe, affecting the health and well-being of residents. The researchers focused on the city’s most vulnerable population: its children.
Read the full article about Jackson, Mississippi’s water crisis by Corrie Pikul at Futurity.