KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND EXERCISE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION AMONG FAMILIES IN BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND EXERCISE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION AMONG FAMILIES IN BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA  

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state, Nigeria. To achieve this purpose, an ex-post-facto research design was used. A total number of 810 households from three (3) senatorial zones of Bauchi State were selected out of the projected population of 1,113,240 households in the state through multi-stage sampling technique consisting of simple random sampling; stratified sampling; proportionate sampling and systematic sampling techniques.Cronbach’s alpha of .82, .84 and .86 were obtained for reliability on knowledge, attitude and practice of household towards environmental sanitation respectively. Out of 810 copies of a questionnaire distributed, only data from 780 were valid for analysis. Inferential statistics of one sample t-test and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) were used to test the hypotheses. The result revealed that households in Bauchi State are knowledgeable about environmental sanitation (t-cal = 197.876; p = 0.00) and households have positive attitude and good practice of environmental sanitation (tcal = 204.617; p = 0.000 and t-cal = 189.110; p = 0.00 respectively). Knowledge of environmental sanitation significantly influences the attitude among households in Bauchi state (r = 0.685; p = 0.00). Moreover, the study shows that knowledge of environmental sanitation significantly influences the practice among households in Bauchi state with (r = 0.714; p =0.00). Based on the findings, it was concluded that households in Bauchi State are knowledgeable about environmental sanitation, their attitude of environmental sanitation was positive, environmental sanitation practice was good among households in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Existing knowledge influences the attitude towards environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state and existing knowledge influences the practice of environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state. Based on the conclusion made, it was recommended among others that policymakers in government and non-governmental organizations should redesign a plan of action on how to maintain the knowledge, attitude and practice of environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi State.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Environmental sanitation is becoming a major threat to the health of households due to poor maintenance of the environment. It is recognized as a major threat to the promotion of hygiene among households in Bauchi State and even the survival of the households. Environmental sanitation is a set of actions or a fundamental process of collecting and safely disposing all kinds of waste within the environment with the intention of protecting and promoting the individual quality of life in communities. Environmental sanitation generally includes the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of waste, the maintenance of hygienic conditions and the prevention of diseases (World Health Organization, 2017). Knowledge of environmental Sanitation is one of the basic determinants of quality of life and human development index (Sheethal & Shashikantha, 2016). Controlling environmental sanitation plays a key role in improving human health and environmental pollutants that have specific diversity which can put at risk all physical, mental and social health of the human being.

Given to the personal hygiene and environmental sanitation has particular importance (Almasi, Dargahi, Mohammadi, Asadi, Porsadeghiyan, Mohammadi & Rostam, 2017).

Mohamad, Muhamad and Gufran (2017) stated that less knowledge about environmental sanitation management can affect the lifestyle of the households which will be reflected in their attitude. Hence more The attitude of households who do not care about the environment will affect the behavior of a clean and healthy lifestyle of the community. Environmental Sanitation is not just limited to cleanliness and proper waste disposal or management,it is rather multifaceted proper housing, food handling, portable water, drainage systems, and hygiene education among others. Therefore, with all these counted strategies, the environment could be free of wastes pollutants (Anthony, 2017). The key to human health lies largely in his environment. In fact, much of human illness can be traced to adverse environmental factors such as water, soil and air pollution, poor housing conditions, presence of animal reservoir and insect vectors of diseases which pose threats to human health (Ibanga, 2015). Often, man is responsible for the pollution of his Environment through urbanization, industrialization and other human activities (Ekong, 2015). The word sanitation is defined as a way of life that is expressed in the clean home, farm, business, neighborhoods, and community (Park, 2011).

Sanitation is one of the basic factor which decisively affects the nature or outcome of quality life of human development (Sheethal & Shashikantha, 2016). It is a fundamental requirement to ensure safe health, environment and the overall wellbeing of the society unless proper functional sanitation facilities are in use complemented with the right types of hygiene behaviours, communities will be vulnerable to recurrent incidences of environmental sanitationrelated diseases (Chariar & Sakthivel, 2011).

World Health Organization (2012) also defined sanitation as the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of human urine and feces. Alabi (2010) on the other hand refers to the word ‘sanitation’ to the maintenance of hygienic conditions through services such as garbage collection and waste-water disposal. Poor sanitation is a major cause of disease worldwide and improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities. In addition, environmental sanitation is the control of all those factors in man‘s physical environment which exercise or may exercise a deleterious effect on his physical development, health, and survival. It could also be seen as the principle and practice of effecting healthful and hygienic conditions in the environment to promote public health and welfare improve quality of life and ensure a sustainable environment (Alabi, 2010).

Environmental Sanitation practice is heavily influenced by the household‘s knowledge and attitudes towards it (Mohd &Malik, 2017). Lack of appropriate information on knowledge attitude and practices of environmental sanitation is an impediment to identify priority needs (Rafiq & Itrat, 2017).The term environment comprised both physical and socio-cultural components. The physical components include non-living (land, water, and air), living things (plants, animals, human beings, micro-organisms) and man-made features which include human settlement and all associated infrastructures such as roads, footpaths, farms, and buildings. The socio-cultural components include social, economic, cultural, educational, religious, relationships among others. The physical environment is where human beings live as household and provide the resources and ecological processes which make life possible (Ukwe, 2008).

Households are a group of people living together in a common residence or apartment as consuming units in a physical environment. The daily household activities and consumptions practice are bases of waste generation. Wastes are consequences of human activities which involves the production of goods and services and the consumption of natural resources (Ukwe, 2004). The wastes are discarded as useless and unwanted. Two major types of wastes commonly generated in Nigerian households are decayed organic wastes such as food remnants, leaves and animals. Non-decayed inorganic wastes such as tins, cans, synthetic wrappings plastic containers, glasses and cellophane bags (Ahia, 2000). Sanitation is a serious issue that is affecting most parts of the world especially the developing countries. On a global scale, the most affected are children who in most cases lose their lives due to diseases caused by poor sanitation. It is expected that when the environmental sanitation standards of a nation improve, there will be upliftment in the living condition, health and security for the inhabitants. Thus, there will be an improvement in the quality and aesthetic of the environment at large thereby making it habitable

(Owoeye, 2013).

A pleasant environment promotes healthful living and hazards free is a fundamental right of every human being. However, disposal of faecal matter near homes, contaminating the sources of drinking water, poorly designed sewage system, dumping of refuse and sweeping into the gutters, defecating and disposing of faeces by the street corners and waterways and selling of foodstuffs and cooked food by the roadside are all unwholesome practices that pose potential risk to the development of diseases. Washing of hands after defecation and before preparing food is of particular importance in reducing disease transmission, Poor housing also contributes to poor environmental health and its consequent input in the health of the household (Ekong, 2015).

Control ofwaste is part of the important service which is the basic rightof every household to sustainthe society. This basic human right involves ensuring proper sanitation, solid waste management, provision of potable water, shelter, food, energy, transport, and communications which are all beneficial to society and the economy as a whole. (UNEP, 2015). In Nigeria,

Environmental sanitation has remained a problem in the urban areas for a long time (Badejo, 2009). Knowledge, attitude, and practice of environmental sanitation management are important for quality living. It would be expected that households should be conversant with them (Florence, Gifty & Juliana, 2013). This factual information necessitates continuous demand for researches in the area of sanitation which trigger the need to conduct this research.

 

 

             

1.2       Statement of the Problem

Inadequate knowledge, poor attitude and practice of environmental sanitation have been recognized as a public health hazard worldwide. In recent times there have been concerns about the sustainability of the environmental health is increasing due to environmental degradation and occurrence of diseases associated with poor waste management (Ekong, 2015). Environmental sanitation involves the waste collection, segregation, storage, transportation, safe disposal and reused (Albert, 2012). This is to protect and promote human health by making the environment clean for habitation and breaks the cycle of disease transmission (Sanni, 2015). However, the issue of poor environmental sanitation practice seems to exist right from the collection, storage, transportation and disposal of household‘s waste. It has also been discovered that it has a strong relationship with the knowledge and the attitude of households (Daramola & Olowoporoku, 2016).

Safe waste disposal and hygienic behaviours are essential for the dignity, status, and wellbeing of every household, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor, live in rural or urban areas, small towns or cities (Abogan, 2014). The Federal Ministry of Environment enacts and enforces environmental sanitation laws in Nigeria through the National Environmental Standards Regulations and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) (Babanyara, et al. 2010). Moreover, very laudable arrangements and efforts were put in place by Bauchi State Environmental Protection

Agency (BASEPA) on proper environmental sanitation and waste management. However,

Ogwuche (2013) documented that only 40% of the solid wastes generated are managed by the Agency, 30% are indiscriminately dumped in unauthorized spots all around the metropolis constituting risks to both human health and the environment. The intensity of the waste management problem increases with increased population due to the increased human activities and the wastes to be transported for disposal (Safiuddin, Jumaat, Salam, Islam & Hashim, 2010).Even though dumpsites are good sources of polluting soil, land, air, and surface water (Kassenga & Mbuligwe, 2009).

Despite all these efforts makes by the government, the researcher observed that many areas around the homes are indiscriminately littered with domestic refuse, sewage, Sullage, garbage, and other wastes. And it is believed that improper wastes management leads to the multiplication of pathogens causing diseases like cholera and diarrhea, it will also provide a good breeding site for disease vectors like mosquitoes (which may cause malaria fever), flies (which may transmit diarrhea infection) and rodents that can easily cause food contamination illnesses such as Lassa fever, salmonella species (bacteria of typhoid fever) among others. Furthermore, the household‘s socioeconomic background, household‘s characteristics and access to environmental sanitation facilities and services could be strong predictors of environmental sanitation behavior in Bauchi state. It is based on this that this study intended to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice towards environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state Nigeria.

1.3       Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude and practice towards environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state. The study will specifically seek to assess:

1. Knowledge of environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state.
2. Attitude towards environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state.
3. Practice of environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state.
4. Relationship between knowledge and attitude towards environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state.
5. Relationshipbetween knowledge and practice of environmental sanitation among

households in Bauchi state.

1.4      Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide the study.

1. Do households have knowledge of environmental sanitation in Bauchi state?
2. What is the attitude of households towards environmental sanitation in Bauchi state?
3. What are the practices of environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state?
4. Is there any relationship between knowledge and attitude of households towards environmental sanitation in Bauchi State?
5. Is there any relationship between knowledge and practice of environmental sanitationamong households in Bauchi State?

1.5       Significance of the Study

This study provides information on the knowledge, attitude and practices of environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi State. The finding of this research will be beneficial to the researcher, research assistance, households, policymakers in governments and nongovernmental organizations, health educators, public health educators, researchers and readers on environmental sanitation in the following ways:

• This research defined the researcher‘s career and personal interests to expand the knowledge and understanding of a chosen field and it has developed one-on-one connections with distinguished households of Bauchi state in the field. The research assistance has fostered critical thinking and analytical skills through hands-on learning.
• It will assist the policymakers in governmental, non-governmental organizations to design a plan of action on how to address the issue related to the knowledge, attitude, and practice of environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi State.
• It will also contribute to the existing knowledge on environmental sanitation particularly in the area of physical and health education.
• It will be beneficial to future researchers and readers on environmental sanitation.

1.6        Basic Assumptions

The following basic assumptions were formulated by the researcher:

1. It is assumed that if households in Bauchi state have adequate knowledge of environmental sanitation it will improve the environment.
2. It is assumed that households in Bauchi state have a positive attitude towards environmental sanitation.
3. It is assumed that households in Bauchi state have a good practice of environmental sanitation.
4. It is assumed that there is significant relationship between knowledge and attitude towards environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state.
5. It is assumed thatthere is significant relationship between knowledge and practiceof environmental sanitation amonghouseholds in Bauchi state.

1.7        Hypotheses

The research was aimed to assess knowledge, attitude and practice towards environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state; the following hypotheses were formulated to guide the researcher to conduct the study:

Major hypothesis:

Household‘s knowledge, attitude, and practices of environmental sanitation in Bauchi

state are not significant.

             

Sub-hypotheses:   

Ho1	The knowledge of environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state is not significant.
Ho2	The attitude towards environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state is not significant.
Ho3	The practice of environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state is not significant.
Ho4	There is no significant relationship between Knowledge and attitude towards environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state.
Ho5	There is no significant relationship between Knowledge and practiceof

environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state.

1.8       Delimitation of the Study

 

This study was delimited to the knowledge, attitude, and practice of environmental sanitation among households in Bauchi state, Nigeria.

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND EXERCISE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION AMONG FAMILIES IN BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA  

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