Peer pressure improves child health issues

Efforts to cut childhood disease in developing countries can be aided by peer pressure, a new study has indicated.

Research from Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy and Nicholas School of the Environment found that social shame can work better at changing health habits than government subsidies.

The report showed that access to sanitation and health technology developments also have a role to play in reducing childhood death.

Subhrendu Pattanayak, lead author of the study, wrote in the Bulletin of the World Health Organisation that "shaming" can have an effect.

He said: "Many view the loss of a child every now and then to diarrhoea and other stomach ailments as part of normal life.

"While some people recognise the connection and do something about it, and the rest also recognise it but find it too abstract compared to life's other problems."

Mr Pattanayak claimed that this situation can be compared to attitudes on the environment around the world.

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