Factors Associated with the Access and Use of Improved Latrine Facilities in Tanzania

Abstract

Access to improved latrine facilities is a basic human right and fundamental to good health. Inadequate sanitation practices cause serious health problems especially transmission of diarrhea. The study aimed to determine associated factors with access to and use of improved latrine facilities in Tanzania. The data for this study was obtained from the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey (2022 TDHS-MIS) by visiting https://www.dhsprogram.com. Data were analyzed using STATA Version 16, whereby a multilevel logistic regression model was chosen as the statistical approach. The study revealed that overall 67.76% of the households had access to improved latrines. The study revealed that head of households with higher education, rich 55+ years and with television had higher odds of using improved toilets compared to others. The study concludes that more than half of the households in Tanzania had access to an improved latrine which is not common in most developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and thus can be used as a reference for learning. This implies the government and stakeholders’ interventions have brought positive changes. Hence, the need of policy enforcement in specific areas as well as government and stakeholders creating awareness campaigns to enable more households’ access to improved latrine in both rural and urban areas