Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Solid Waste Management Among Rural and Urban Dwellers in Rivers State, Nigeria
Abstract
Solid waste management (SWM) is a critical environmental and public health concern, particularly in developing countries where urban-rural disparities affect waste disposal practices. In Nigeria, poor SWM contributes to pollution, flooding, and disease outbreaks, necessitating targeted interventions. The purpose of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of solid waste management among rural and urban dwellers in Rivers State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 422 respondents (211 rural, 211 urban) who were recruited using a multi-stage sampling method. The data was collected using a structured validated interviewer-administered questionnaire while the data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Descriptive statistics was used to derive frequencies and percentages while the level of statistical significance was set as P < 0.05.The findings indicate that majority of the respondents were <30 years (40.0%), females (52.4%), single (51.2%), educated to tertiary level (54.5%), self- employed (42.9%), earns <70,000 NGN monthly (24.6%), lived in nuclear family (79.7%), had a household size of 2-4 persons (52.6%), lived in the area for 2-4 years (33.3%) and lived in a flat (44.4%). This result also showed a clear urban-rural divide in SWM. Urban dwellers exhibit better knowledge and structured waste disposal practices, benefiting from higher education levels and access to formal waste collection services. In contrast, rural dwellers rely more on informal disposal methods such as open burning and indiscriminate dumping due to limited infrastructure. Regression analysis identified household size, education, and income as significant determinants of solid waste management knowledge and practice.
