Bias in the perceived prevalence of open defecation: Evidence from Bihar, India.

ABSTRACT: People often form perceptions about how prevalent a behavior is in a social group. However, these perceptions can be inaccurate and biased. While persistent undesirable practices in low-income countries have drawn global attention, evidence regarding people's perception of how prevalent these practices are is scarce. Among those harmful practices, open defecation in India remains a significant public health concern, where it perpetuates the vicious cycle of disease and poverty. In this study, we focus on measuring the perceived prevalence of open defecation among respondents in Bihar, India. We examined the bias in perceived prevalence, which is defined as a pattern of deviation from the actual prevalence of open defecation. Results showed that respondents who defecate in the open overesti

SUBMITTER: Kuang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7485860 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature