Knowledge and Attitude About Sanitation in Ghana: Correlation of Knowledge with Attitudes about Sanitation in the Marketplace among Adults Surveyed in Two Areas in Ghana
Phillip Kwaku Duah
Doctor of Health Science (D.H.Sc.), Drexel University
Sanitation Health education Health attitudes Ghana Public Health
Background: About 10% of diseases worldwide are the result of inadequate sanitation, with diarrhea as the primary culprit. While governments in the past built infrastructures to address sanitation problems, sanitation professionals are now focusing on behavioral change of all individuals to improve sanitation. Improved sanitation not only impacts the health of the people but also their socio-economic status, especially in developing countries. Specific Aims: This study aims to determine the level of understanding of the health effects of the indiscriminate disposal of trash to the streets and gutters by adult market users in the Dome and Central markets in Ghana's Accra and Kumasi region. The primary question is whether there is a correlation between Ghanaian adults knowing the health hazards of poor sanitation in the marketplace and their attitudes toward sanitation practices. We hypothesize that accurate and high knowledge about the health hazards of sanitation in the market is associated with adults' positive attitude toward proper sanitation practices by market users. Method: A three-part 23 question, orally administered survey was conducted to reach 250 adults in two public markets in Accra and Kumasi. After gaining consent, participants were asked questions about their 1) knowledge of sanitation and hygiene; 2) attitude toward sanitation and hygiene in the marketplace; and 3) simple demographics. The researcher intercepted adults to randomize participation in a survey. The results show a significant relationship between knowledge about health risks associated with poor sanitation and the attitudes toward proper sanitation practices in the marketplace, whereby the correlation between knowledge of health risks and the government being responsible for maintaining a clean marketplace showed an inverse relationship. Further, the responsibility for a clean marketplace depends on perceptions. Significance of Study: The study will build on the current understanding of sanitation problems and will explore their attitudes toward practices of waste disposal to propose practical interventions to induce the motivations of appropriate sanitation practices.
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Details
Title
Knowledge and Attitude About Sanitation in Ghana
Creators
Phillip Kwaku Duah
Contributors
Stephen F. Gambescia (Advisor)
Awarding Institution
Drexel University
Degree Awarded
Doctor of Health Science (D.H.Sc.)
Publisher
Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Number of pages
ix, 76, [17] pages
Resource Type
Dissertation
Language
English
Academic Unit
College of Nursing and Health Professions; Drexel University; Health Sciences
Other Identifier
991020220848304721
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