How the Mother's Exposure to Mass Media Influence Stunting in children through the Mediation of WASH—Evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED The issue of malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is severe. Meanwhile, the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program had been demonstrated to be effective in reducing the rates of stunting among children. Hence, we aim to explore the association between maternal exposure to mass media and stunting in children through WASH behaviors. Mediation analysis was conducted using data from the 2018 Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys (MICS). Results indicate that mothers’ exposure to television and the internet in the DRC, significantly decreases the risk of stunting in children, mediated by household WASH level. Our results could inform and guide interventions and policies to reduce the stunting rate among children by promoting WASH through mass media.