Printer-friendly versionA new research brief from the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), Investing in the Next Generation: Growing Tall and Smart with Toilets, examines how the level of open defecation in a community is associated with shorter children in Cambodia. Key findings highlighted in the research brief are that open defecation is associated with greater stunting at every age, and that it is associated with greater stunting even when the household itself does not openly defecate. A child's height is an important statistic for policy makers to consider because it is a good indicator of overall health throughout a child's life and future achievement. In line with the research findings, Cambodia's sanitation policies would best prioritize collective community-wide behavior change interventions to stop open defecation and create demand for sanitation.