Why Do People Stop Treating Contaminated Drinking Water With Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS)?

Abstract

Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) is a simple method designed to treat microbiologically contaminated drinking water at household level. This article characterizes relapse behavior in comparison with continued SODIS use after a 7-month nonpromotion period. In addition, different subtypes among relapsers and continuers were assumed to diverge mainly in their intention to use SODIS and their degree of cognition intensity. Data were taken from a longitudinal SODIS promotion study. Cluster analyses were applied to find subtypes among 166 relapsers and 123 continuers. Overall relapsers have lower values for all psychological variables compared to overall continuers. A low-value and a high-value relapser subtype as well as a low-value and a high-value continuer subtype were found. Low-value relapsers differ from high-value relapsers in one central belief (taste), in affective connotation, social norms, and dissonance. Interestingly, high-value relapsers have values almost as high as low-value continuers, differing only in their degree of habit. Only high-value continuers seem to be stable and did not show a decrease in critical habit variables over time. The different subtypes are placed along the behavior change process, and possible interventions for each type are highlighted.