Factors associated with rural-urban safe disposal of children stools in Ghana
Abstract Introduction The burden of children’s disease in many low-and middle-income countries is associated with poor sanitation, including unsafe disposal of children’s stool. Infants and toddler stools pose a greater public health risk than adults. Studies on stool disposal in Sub-Saharan Africa...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Research Notes |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-024-06701-2 |
| _version_ | 1797276027416739840 |
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| author | Martin Wiredu Agyekum Florence Esi Nyieku Sylvia Boamah Yeboah Faustina Frempong-Ainguah |
| author_facet | Martin Wiredu Agyekum Florence Esi Nyieku Sylvia Boamah Yeboah Faustina Frempong-Ainguah |
| author_sort | Martin Wiredu Agyekum |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction The burden of children’s disease in many low-and middle-income countries is associated with poor sanitation, including unsafe disposal of children’s stool. Infants and toddler stools pose a greater public health risk than adults. Studies on stool disposal in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Ghana have focused on prevalence, patterns, and associated factors. Nevertheless, these studies have not focused on factors that independently influence rural and/or urban child stool disposal. This study, therefore, examines factors associated with safe child stool disposal in rural areas separately from urban areas towards Ghana’s readiness for ending open defaecation by 2030. Methodology We examined young children’s faecal disposal drawing on the sixth round of the nationally-representative Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted in 2017/18. This study was restricted to children under two years, yielding a sub-sample of 3,476. Responses of caregivers or mothers who disposed of children less than two years faecal matter, their characteristics in addition to the child’s age in months were analysed. A binary logistic regression was used to examine the factors associated with the safe disposal of young children’s stools. Results In the aggregated data, only 22% of households, regardless of their residence, dispose of their young children less than two years stools safely. From the disaggregated data, the rural analysis shows that 26% of young children’s stools were safely disposed of, compared to 16% in the urban analysis. The urban analysis shows that the child’s age, sex and caregiver’s marital status were significantly associated with safe disposal of stools. On the other hand, child’s age, caregiver listening to radio and household access to improved toilet facilities were significant in the rural analysis. Conclusion The safe practice of stool disposal was very low. The results of this study show that urgent and different policies and strategies are needed to address child stool disposal in urban residences compared to rural residences if we are to meet SDG targets of ending open defaecation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:22:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f62f481422b641239b0dc688c82601dc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-0500 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:22:26Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Research Notes |
| spelling | doaj.art-f62f481422b641239b0dc688c82601dc2024-03-05T17:35:39ZengBMCBMC Research Notes1756-05002024-02-011711910.1186/s13104-024-06701-2Factors associated with rural-urban safe disposal of children stools in GhanaMartin Wiredu Agyekum0Florence Esi Nyieku1Sylvia Boamah Yeboah2Faustina Frempong-Ainguah3Institute for Educational Research and Innovation Studies (IERIS), University of EducationDepartment of Environmental Health and Sanitation Education, University of EducationFaculty of Human and Social Studies, Mykolas Romeris UniversityRegional Institute for Population Studies, University of GhanaAbstract Introduction The burden of children’s disease in many low-and middle-income countries is associated with poor sanitation, including unsafe disposal of children’s stool. Infants and toddler stools pose a greater public health risk than adults. Studies on stool disposal in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Ghana have focused on prevalence, patterns, and associated factors. Nevertheless, these studies have not focused on factors that independently influence rural and/or urban child stool disposal. This study, therefore, examines factors associated with safe child stool disposal in rural areas separately from urban areas towards Ghana’s readiness for ending open defaecation by 2030. Methodology We examined young children’s faecal disposal drawing on the sixth round of the nationally-representative Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted in 2017/18. This study was restricted to children under two years, yielding a sub-sample of 3,476. Responses of caregivers or mothers who disposed of children less than two years faecal matter, their characteristics in addition to the child’s age in months were analysed. A binary logistic regression was used to examine the factors associated with the safe disposal of young children’s stools. Results In the aggregated data, only 22% of households, regardless of their residence, dispose of their young children less than two years stools safely. From the disaggregated data, the rural analysis shows that 26% of young children’s stools were safely disposed of, compared to 16% in the urban analysis. The urban analysis shows that the child’s age, sex and caregiver’s marital status were significantly associated with safe disposal of stools. On the other hand, child’s age, caregiver listening to radio and household access to improved toilet facilities were significant in the rural analysis. Conclusion The safe practice of stool disposal was very low. The results of this study show that urgent and different policies and strategies are needed to address child stool disposal in urban residences compared to rural residences if we are to meet SDG targets of ending open defaecation.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-024-06701-2StoolSafe disposalRural-urban differentialsChildren under 2 yearsGhana |
| spellingShingle | Martin Wiredu Agyekum Florence Esi Nyieku Sylvia Boamah Yeboah Faustina Frempong-Ainguah Factors associated with rural-urban safe disposal of children stools in Ghana BMC Research Notes Stool Safe disposal Rural-urban differentials Children under 2 years Ghana |
| title | Factors associated with rural-urban safe disposal of children stools in Ghana |
| title_full | Factors associated with rural-urban safe disposal of children stools in Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Factors associated with rural-urban safe disposal of children stools in Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors associated with rural-urban safe disposal of children stools in Ghana |
| title_short | Factors associated with rural-urban safe disposal of children stools in Ghana |
| title_sort | factors associated with rural urban safe disposal of children stools in ghana |
| topic | Stool Safe disposal Rural-urban differentials Children under 2 years Ghana |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-024-06701-2 |
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