Abstract
This study was conducted in Tunduru District, Tanzania to assess the perception and determinants for the adoption of improved sanitation. The specific objectives were twofold: (i) to examine community perception on improved sanitation and (ii) to determine the factors influencing the adoption of improved sanitation. A total of 248 householders were enrolled in the study. Data were collected through a household survey, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were subjected to t-test, Principal Component Analysis, and Chi-square test analysis. The findings showed that households with improved sanitation constituted 69.4% of the peri-urban sample compared with 18.9% for rural households. The corresponding figures for handwashing facilities were 3.1 and 5.8%. The perceived benefits of improved sanitation were clustered into four dimensions reflecting comfort, convenience, status symbol, and disease prevention. The main factors explaining the adoption of improved sanitation were younger age of household heads, secondary or higher education, employment or engaging in small business, higher household economic status, and living in peri-urban areas. Overall, these factors relate to the behavioral, normative, and control beliefs, which guide an individual’s behavior and decisions to adopt and use improved toilet facilities.
Highlights
The importance of strengthening sanitation service delivery is well recognized due to increasing evidence of the relationship between appropriate sanitation and the protection of public health (Harter et al, 2019; Behera et al, 2020; Chung and Hellberg, 2020)
Data analysis: Quantitative data were analyzed by using IBM-Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20
The constructed index was used to examine its relationship with the adoption of improved sanitation
Summary
The importance of strengthening sanitation service delivery is well recognized due to increasing evidence of the relationship between appropriate sanitation and the protection of public health (Harter et al, 2019; Behera et al, 2020; Chung and Hellberg, 2020). A systematic review of the impact of sanitation found that increasing access to safe sanitation services can reduce diarrheal diseases by 16% (Wolf et al, 2014). Sanitation is acknowledged as an indispensable element of disease prevention, studies in low-income countries show low achievement in sanitation interventions (Augsburg and RodriguezLesmes, 2018; Armah et al, 2018). This situation has drawn global attention; calling for more commitments towards improved sanitation. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasize improved access to clean water and sanitation by 2030
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