%0 Journal Article
%T A Cross Sectional Study: Availability of Improved Sanitation Facilities and Associated Factors among Rural Communities in Lemo Woreda, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia
%A Tadele Yohannes
%A Abdulalik Workicho
%A Henok Asefa
%J Open Access Library Journal
%V 1
%N 8
%P 1-10
%@ 2333-9721
%D 2014
%I Open Access Library
%R 10.4236/oalib.1101020
%X Background: Faecal-oral diseases represent the largest
health burden associated with a lack of improved sanitation. Diarrhea is the most
burdensome of these and accounting for over millions of deaths each year. Access
to improved household sanitary facilities have great health benefits ranging from
reductions in diarrhea, helmenth infections and trachoma through reduced risk of
accidents and enhanced psychosocial well-being. Objective: This study was aimed
at assessing the availability of improved sanitation facilities and factors affecting
it among rural communities in Lemo Woreda of Hadiya zone in 2014. Methods: Community
based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April, 2014 in Lemo Woreda,
Hadiya Zone. To draw a total sample of
size 515, a multistage sampling technique was used. Heads of the households or their spouses were interviewed to collect data using structured,
pretested questionnaire. Data were entered using Epi-Data version 3.1 and
exported to SPSS version 16 for analysis. Binary logistic regression was used to
predict variables which have independent association with outcome variables. Results:
The findings of this study showed that 35.9% (95%CI: 30.9%, 40.9%) of the households
included in the study had improved sanitation facilities. The likelihood of improved
sanitation facility was 2.3 fold higher in households that had a higher income than
those with lower income (AOR: 2.346 (1.483, 3.714)). The odds of having improved
sanitation facilities was 6.5 folds higher in households headed by government
employers/students as compared to households headed by farmers (AOR: 6.521, 95%CI:
(2.216, 19.188)). Respondents who had sufficient knowledge on improved sanitation
facilities were 1.6 times more likely to have improved sanitation facilities as
those who had insufficient knowledge on improved sanitation facilities (AOR: 1.606,
95%CI: (1.022, 2.253)). Respondents who had positive attitude towards improved sanitation
facilities were 2 times more likely to had improved sanitation facilities as those
who had negative attitude towards improved sanitation facilities (AOR: 1.989, 95%CI:
(1.250, 3.165)). Conclusions: The findings of this study showed that 35.9% (95%CI:
30.9%, 40.9%) of the households included in the study had improved sanitation facilities.
Income of the household, occupation of the respondents, knowledge and atti- tude
of the respondents towards improved sanitation were the major factors affecting
availability of improved sanitation facilities. Therefore, it is recommended that
continuous education on im- proved sanitation facilities should be provided to rural
communities and special attention should be given to farmers.
%K Sanitation Facilities
%K Availability
%K Improved
%K Factors
%K Lemo Woreda
%U http://www.oalib.com/paper/3125817