Abstract
Background: Globally, many communities still lack safely managed drinking water, and preventable waterborne disease remains common in rural and low-resource settings. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 calls for universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030.
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the sustained use of household water filters, perceived health outcomes, and the impact of nursing-led water education among families in rural Ecuador one year after an initial clean water implementation project.
Methods: This completed follow-up project used a simple descriptive design. Nursing faculty and students returned to 10 participating families in rural Ecuador approximately one year after the initial gifting of household water filters and education on their use. During home visits, caregivers were asked a brief set of questions about current filter use, water collection practices, and family health, with a focus on diarrhea and other stomach illnesses. Families were also asked what helped or made it difficult to use the filters consistently. Notes from these visits were reviewed and summarized to describe patterns across the 10 families.
Results: Most families reported that they were still using the water filters every day and felt confident in how to care for them one year after installation. Caregivers commonly described fewer episodes of diarrhea and stomach upset among children and adults since they began using filtered water. Families identified nursing students and community health workers as trusted sources of information about safe water. Reported barriers included difficulty obtaining replacement parts and not always prioritizing filtered water for all drinking and cooking. Home visits allowed nurses to clarify misunderstandings and reinforce key teaching about safe water and hygiene.
Conclusions and Implications for Nursing: This one-year follow-up project showed that a nursing-led partnership can support continued use of household water filters, contribute to perceived improvements in family health, and advance SDG 6 in a rural setting. Simple home visits and clear, culturally appropriate education were important for sustaining behavior change. These findings support the role of nurses in integrating water, sanitation, and hygiene content into community health practice, global health curricula, and future international service-learning experiences.
Notes
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References:
1. World Health Organization. (2022). State of the world’s drinking water: An urgent call to action to accelerate progress on ensuring safe drinking water for all. WHO & UNICEF.
2. World Health Organization. (2023). Drinking-water: Key facts.
3. Kroner, C., Kirby, M. A., Torondel, B., et al. (2023). Assessing the sustained effects of a water filter intervention: A 30-month follow-up of a programmatic implementation in Rwanda. PLOS Water, 2(3), e0000161. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000161
4. Hossain, M., & Clancy, T. R. (2023). Nursing action toward the Sustainable Development Goals: Barriers and opportunities. Nurse Education Today, 124, 105787. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2023.105787
5. United Nations Children’s Fund & World Health Organization. (2023). Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000–2022: Special focus on gender. UNICEF & WHO Joint Monitoring Programme.
Sigma Membership
Alpha Beta Iota
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Sustainable Development Goals, Continuing Education, Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Community Health Nursing, Nursing Interventions, Water Filtration, Water Purification, Drinking Water Quality, Ecuador
Recommended Citation
Black, Stephanie, "Advancing SDG 6: Nursing-Led Home Follow-Up on Water Filtration in Rural Ecuador" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 200.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/200
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-24
Advancing SDG 6: Nursing-Led Home Follow-Up on Water Filtration in Rural Ecuador
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: Globally, many communities still lack safely managed drinking water, and preventable waterborne disease remains common in rural and low-resource settings. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 calls for universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030.
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the sustained use of household water filters, perceived health outcomes, and the impact of nursing-led water education among families in rural Ecuador one year after an initial clean water implementation project.
Methods: This completed follow-up project used a simple descriptive design. Nursing faculty and students returned to 10 participating families in rural Ecuador approximately one year after the initial gifting of household water filters and education on their use. During home visits, caregivers were asked a brief set of questions about current filter use, water collection practices, and family health, with a focus on diarrhea and other stomach illnesses. Families were also asked what helped or made it difficult to use the filters consistently. Notes from these visits were reviewed and summarized to describe patterns across the 10 families.
Results: Most families reported that they were still using the water filters every day and felt confident in how to care for them one year after installation. Caregivers commonly described fewer episodes of diarrhea and stomach upset among children and adults since they began using filtered water. Families identified nursing students and community health workers as trusted sources of information about safe water. Reported barriers included difficulty obtaining replacement parts and not always prioritizing filtered water for all drinking and cooking. Home visits allowed nurses to clarify misunderstandings and reinforce key teaching about safe water and hygiene.
Conclusions and Implications for Nursing: This one-year follow-up project showed that a nursing-led partnership can support continued use of household water filters, contribute to perceived improvements in family health, and advance SDG 6 in a rural setting. Simple home visits and clear, culturally appropriate education were important for sustaining behavior change. These findings support the role of nurses in integrating water, sanitation, and hygiene content into community health practice, global health curricula, and future international service-learning experiences.
Description
This completed one-year follow-up project in rural Ecuador examined 10 families’ ongoing use of household water filters and the impact of nursing-led home visits on family health and water education. Families reported continued filter use, fewer stomach illnesses, and strong trust in nurses as educators, underscoring nursing’s role in advancing SDG 6 through simple community partnerships.