Sense of community as a protective factor of the quality of life in scarce water conditions.

This study was carried out as part of the international cooperation project "Agua Futura" with the aim of identifying the association between the availability of drinking water and self-perceived health status. A sense of community was hypothesized as a protective factor in this relationship. 159 rural inhabitants of El Salvador completed the Household Water InSecurity Experiences Scale, the Short Form 12 and the Sense of Community Index-2. Results showed negative associations between the water insecurity and the health-related quality of life, mainly mental health. Furthermore, the interaction between sense of community and water insecurity was a significant predictor of most mental health outcomes. The present study seems to suggest that water scarcity may lead to poor mental health, and that a stronger sense of community may be a protective factor for quality of life in people living in water scarcity availability.