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• 1. [Article] Process Evaluation and Assessment of Use of a Large Scale Water Filter and Cookstove Program in Rwanda

  Background: In an effort to reduce the disease burden in rural Rwanda, decrease poverty associated with expenditures for fuel, and minimize the environmental impact on forests and greenhouse gases from ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Process Evaluation and Assessment of Use of a Large Scale Water Filter and Cookstove Program in Rwanda Author: Barstow, Christina K., Nagel, Corey, Clasen, Thomas, Thomas, Evan A. Year: 2016 Background: In an effort to reduce the disease burden in rural Rwanda, decrease poverty associated with expenditures for fuel, and minimize the environmental impact on forests and greenhouse gases from inefficient combustion of biomass, the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MOH) partnered with DelAgua Health (DelAgua), a private social enterprise, to distribute and promote the use of improved cookstoves and advanced water filters to the poorest quarter of households (Ubudehe 1 and 2) nationally, beginning in Western Province under a program branded Tubeho Neza (“Live Well”). The project is privately financed and earns revenue from carbon credits under the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism. Methods: During a 3-month period in late 2014, over 470,000 people living in over 101,000 households were provided free water filters and cookstoves. Following the distribution, community health workers visited nearly 98 % of households to perform household level education and training activities. Over 87 % of households were visited again within 6 months with a basic survey conducted. Detailed adoption surveys were conducted among a sample of households, 1000 in the first round, 187 in the second. Results: Approximately a year after distribution, reported water filter use was above 90 % (+/−4 % CI) and water present in filter was observed in over 76 % (+/−6 % CI) of households, while the reported primary stove was nearly 90 % (+/−4.4 % CI) and of households cooking at the time of the visit, over 83 % (+/−5.3 % CI) were on the improved stove. There was no observed association between household size and stove stacking behavior. Conclusions: This program suggests that free distribution is not a determinant of low adoption. It is plausible that continued engagement in households, enabled by Ministry of Health support and carbon financed revenue, contributed to high adoption rates. Overall, the program was able to demonstrate a privately financed, public health intervention can achieve high levels of initial adoption and usage of household level water filtration and improved cookstoves at a large scale. Title: Process Evaluation and Assessment of Use of a Large Scale Water Filter and Cookstove Program in Rwanda Author: Barstow, Christina K., Nagel, Corey, Clasen, Thomas, Thomas, Evan A. Year: 2016 Background: In an effort to reduce the disease burden in rural Rwanda, decrease poverty associated with expenditures for fuel, and minimize the environmental impact on forests and greenhouse gases from inefficient combustion of biomass, the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MOH) partnered with DelAgua Health (DelAgua), a private social enterprise, to distribute and promote the use of improved cookstoves and advanced water filters to the poorest quarter of households (Ubudehe 1 and 2) nationally, beginning in Western Province under a program branded Tubeho Neza (“Live Well”). The project is privately financed and earns revenue from carbon credits under the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism. Methods: During a 3-month period in late 2014, over 470,000 people living in over 101,000 households were provided free water filters and cookstoves. Following the distribution, community health workers visited nearly 98 % of households to perform household level education and training activities. Over 87 % of households were visited again within 6 months with a basic survey conducted. Detailed adoption surveys were conducted among a sample of households, 1000 in the first round, 187 in the second. Results: Approximately a year after distribution, reported water filter use was above 90 % (+/−4 % CI) and water present in filter was observed in over 76 % (+/−6 % CI) of households, while the reported primary stove was nearly 90 % (+/−4.4 % CI) and of households cooking at the time of the visit, over 83 % (+/−5.3 % CI) were on the improved stove. There was no observed association between household size and stove stacking behavior. Conclusions: This program suggests that free distribution is not a determinant of low adoption. It is plausible that continued engagement in households, enabled by Ministry of Health support and carbon financed revenue, contributed to high adoption rates. Overall, the program was able to demonstrate a privately financed, public health intervention can achieve high levels of initial adoption and usage of household level water filtration and improved cookstoves at a large scale. Close

• 2. [Article] Combining Sensor Monitoring and Ethnography to Evaluate Household Latrine Usage in Rural India

  This paper advances research on methods used to evaluate sanitation usage and behavior. The research used quantitative and qualitative methods to contribute to new understanding of sanitation practices ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Combining Sensor Monitoring and Ethnography to Evaluate Household Latrine Usage in Rural India Author: O'Reilly, Kathleen, Louis, Elizabeth, Thomas, Evan A., Sinha, Antara Year: 2015 This paper advances research on methods used to evaluate sanitation usage and behavior. The research used quantitative and qualitative methods to contribute to new understanding of sanitation practices and meanings in rural India. We estimated latrine usage behavior through ethnographic interviews and sensor monitoring, specifically the latest generation of infrared toilet sensors, Portland State University Passive Latrine Use Monitors (PLUMs). Two hundred and fifty-eight rural households in West Bengal (WB) and Himachal Pradesh, India, participated in the study by allowing PLUMs to be installed in their houses for a minimum of 6 days. Six hundred interviews were taken in these households, and in others, where sensors had not been installed. Ethnographic and observational methods were used to capture the different defecation habits and their meanings in the two study sites. Those data framed the analysis of the PLUM raw data for each location. PLUMs provided reliable, quantitative verification. Interviews elicited unique information and proved essential to understanding and maximizing the PLUM data set. The combined methodological approach produced key findings that latrines in rural WB were used only for defecation, and that low cost, pit latrines were being used sustainably in both study areas. Title: Combining Sensor Monitoring and Ethnography to Evaluate Household Latrine Usage in Rural India Author: O'Reilly, Kathleen, Louis, Elizabeth, Thomas, Evan A., Sinha, Antara Year: 2015 This paper advances research on methods used to evaluate sanitation usage and behavior. The research used quantitative and qualitative methods to contribute to new understanding of sanitation practices and meanings in rural India. We estimated latrine usage behavior through ethnographic interviews and sensor monitoring, specifically the latest generation of infrared toilet sensors, Portland State University Passive Latrine Use Monitors (PLUMs). Two hundred and fifty-eight rural households in West Bengal (WB) and Himachal Pradesh, India, participated in the study by allowing PLUMs to be installed in their houses for a minimum of 6 days. Six hundred interviews were taken in these households, and in others, where sensors had not been installed. Ethnographic and observational methods were used to capture the different defecation habits and their meanings in the two study sites. Those data framed the analysis of the PLUM raw data for each location. PLUMs provided reliable, quantitative verification. Interviews elicited unique information and proved essential to understanding and maximizing the PLUM data set. The combined methodological approach produced key findings that latrines in rural WB were used only for defecation, and that low cost, pit latrines were being used sustainably in both study areas. Close

• 3. [Article] Using Household Travel Surveys to Adjust ITE Trip Generation Rates

  The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Handbook has become the predominant method for estimating vehicle trips generated by development. The handbook is often criticized for its ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Using Household Travel Surveys to Adjust ITE Trip Generation Rates Author: Currans, Kristina Marie, Clifton, Kelly J. Year: 2015 The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Handbook has become the predominant method for estimating vehicle trips generated by development. The handbook is often criticized for its inability to account for multimodal behavior in urban contexts, often overestimating vehicle traffic. The purpose of this research is to develop and test a ready-to-use method for adjusting the ITE handbook vehicle trip generation estimates for urban context. This method was created using household travel surveys from Oregon, Washington, and Maryland, as well as nationally available built environment data. Three adjustments were estimated for eight general land-use categories, including a “pooled” category considering all travel survey data. The performance of three adjustments were tested using 195 establishment-level vehicle trip generation datasets compiled from three independent sources. Using this data, the performances of four land-use categories were tested. The overall findings suggest that the simplest of the three adjustments developed provided similar results to the more complex adjustment methods. Moreover, adjustments applied using the “pooled” land-uses category also provided similar results to the more detailed segmentation of travel survey data. Both of these findings punctuate the need for a simple, urban adjustment for trip generation estimates. Title: Using Household Travel Surveys to Adjust ITE Trip Generation Rates Author: Currans, Kristina Marie, Clifton, Kelly J. Year: 2015 The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Handbook has become the predominant method for estimating vehicle trips generated by development. The handbook is often criticized for its inability to account for multimodal behavior in urban contexts, often overestimating vehicle traffic. The purpose of this research is to develop and test a ready-to-use method for adjusting the ITE handbook vehicle trip generation estimates for urban context. This method was created using household travel surveys from Oregon, Washington, and Maryland, as well as nationally available built environment data. Three adjustments were estimated for eight general land-use categories, including a “pooled” category considering all travel survey data. The performance of three adjustments were tested using 195 establishment-level vehicle trip generation datasets compiled from three independent sources. Using this data, the performances of four land-use categories were tested. The overall findings suggest that the simplest of the three adjustments developed provided similar results to the more complex adjustment methods. Moreover, adjustments applied using the “pooled” land-uses category also provided similar results to the more detailed segmentation of travel survey data. Both of these findings punctuate the need for a simple, urban adjustment for trip generation estimates. Close

• 4. [Article] Understanding Residential Location Choices for Climate Change and Transportation Decision Making: Phase 2 Report

  This research builds on the related Phase 1 project. In this second phase, we continue to study neighborhood and housing preferences that shape the residential location decision process. An online experimental ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Understanding Residential Location Choices for Climate Change and Transportation Decision Making: Phase 2 Report Author: Clifton, Kelly J., Gehrke, Steven R., Currans, Kristina Marie Year: 2015 This research builds on the related Phase 1 project. In this second phase, we continue to study neighborhood and housing preferences that shape the residential location decision process. An online experimental survey tool is developed to investigate lifestyle preferences and tradeoffs that households make in their location decisions. This computer-aided experimental survey draws upon stated preference methods to engage participants in questions about residential location and transportation options. The survey infrastructure was extensively piloted (6-10% response rate). The 10-minute survey can be deployed for future investigations. This infrastructure is a contribution for the integration of visualized neighborhood typologies, or concepts, which were objectively defined using data from 25 of the most populous metropolitan regions from around the United States. The construct of neighborhoods is based upon national data to account for potential options not currently available in Oregon. These visualizations help ground the survey respondents in the same reality and were carefully crafted to convey various attributes of the built and transportation environment. The initial analysis of the preference data collected in this survey (N=1,035) indicates that the preferences for neighborhood, housing, and transportation characteristics have a greater influence on the preferred neighborhood concept than the more typically used socio-economic characteristics (income, household size, age). Another interesting preliminary finding is that 27% of respondents would prefer to live in a more urban neighborhood than they currently reside. These “urban seeking” respondents had no particular demographic trend, providing little evidence that specific socioeconomic markets had specific preferences for the built environment. Title: Understanding Residential Location Choices for Climate Change and Transportation Decision Making: Phase 2 Report Author: Clifton, Kelly J., Gehrke, Steven R., Currans, Kristina Marie Year: 2015 This research builds on the related Phase 1 project. In this second phase, we continue to study neighborhood and housing preferences that shape the residential location decision process. An online experimental survey tool is developed to investigate lifestyle preferences and tradeoffs that households make in their location decisions. This computer-aided experimental survey draws upon stated preference methods to engage participants in questions about residential location and transportation options. The survey infrastructure was extensively piloted (6-10% response rate). The 10-minute survey can be deployed for future investigations. This infrastructure is a contribution for the integration of visualized neighborhood typologies, or concepts, which were objectively defined using data from 25 of the most populous metropolitan regions from around the United States. The construct of neighborhoods is based upon national data to account for potential options not currently available in Oregon. These visualizations help ground the survey respondents in the same reality and were carefully crafted to convey various attributes of the built and transportation environment. The initial analysis of the preference data collected in this survey (N=1,035) indicates that the preferences for neighborhood, housing, and transportation characteristics have a greater influence on the preferred neighborhood concept than the more typically used socio-economic characteristics (income, household size, age). Another interesting preliminary finding is that 27% of respondents would prefer to live in a more urban neighborhood than they currently reside. These “urban seeking” respondents had no particular demographic trend, providing little evidence that specific socioeconomic markets had specific preferences for the built environment. Close