Effect of community participation on knowledge, attitude and practice of domestic solid waste management in Uyo, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The increasing burden of solid waste generated in many parts of the developing world is a cause for concern as it impacts on the environment and the health of the population. Community participation as an intervention can become a veritable opportunity for individuals and communities to address this challenge.

Aim: The study aimed to assess the effect of community participation on the knowledge, attitude and practice of house-heads in peri-urban communities in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.

Materials and methods: The study was set at peri-urban communities in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state and employs a quasi-experimental design. A multistage sampling method was used to sample household heads for the study. A pretested interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire was used to get the opinions of the household heads before and after the intervention. Community participation, as an intervention involved distribution of waste bags and education of community members about the need for proper management of wastes. A committee was set up to ensure proper management of domestic waste in the community. A scoring system was used to assess and compare the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of domestic solid waste in both communities. The level of significance was set at <0.05.

Results: A total of 246 (98.0) respondents in the intervention arm and 250(99.6) in the control arm participated in the study. The mean ages of participants in the intervention and control groups were 45.84±14.4 years and 45.31±14.4 years respectively. Most of the respondents in the intervention and control groups were male. At post-intervention, there was an improvement in the level of knowledge, attitude and practice in the intervention group, which was in all cases statistically significant.

Conclusion: Community participation can play a critical role in improving solid waste management in communities.