Dissertation
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
Doctor of Health Science (D.H.Sc.), Drexel University
Aug 2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001528
Abstract
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