Open Defecation: Assessment of Health and Social Impact in Central Senatorial District of Kogi State, Nigeria

Omoh Mathew Omeiza

doi:10.56201/ijgem.vol.11.no7.2025.pg252.263

📄 Download Paper

Open Defecation: Assessment of Health and Social Impact in Central Senatorial District of Kogi State, Nigeria

Omoh Mathew Omeiza

Abstract

This study investigates the prevalence and drivers of open defecation in Kogi Central Senatorial District, Nigeria, using a descriptive cross-sectional research design. Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 400 respondents across selected rural communities. The findings reveal that open defecation is highly prevalent, with 64.75% of respondents admitting to the practice and 65% lacking access to toilet facilities. The population is largely agrarian, 41.2% are farmers, and educational attainment is low, with 37.5% having no formal education and only 10% attaining tertiary education. Perception analysis shows strong agreement that open defecation is common (WM = 3.90), contributes to frequent cases of diarrhoea and typhoid (WM = 3.95), and is more widespread in rural than urban areas (WM = 3.75). Respondents noted that women and girls face heightened safety risks (WM = 3.90), particularly due to the lack of gender- sensitive sanitation. Economic hardship (WM = 3.80) and inadequate government intervention (WM = 3.70) were identified as primary constraints, while traditional beliefs were not widely seen as influential. A chi-square test revealed a significant relationship between education level and open defecation practices (?² = 16.009, p = 0.0011), highlighting education as a key factor in sanitation behavior. The study recommends a multi-pronged approach, investment in sanitation infrastructure, hygiene education, gender-inclusive planning, and poverty alleviation, to effectively combat open defecation in the district.

Keywords

Open defecationSanitation practicespublic healthHygiene behavior.

References

Abdullahi, Z. A., Yakubu, A., & Aliyu, I. (2023). Open defecation practices and diarrhoeal diseases among under-five children in Sokoto, Nigeria. African Journal of Environmental Health, 15(2), 112–124. Abiodun, O. (2021). Waterborne diseases and sanitation challenges in Nigerian rural communities: A review. International Journal of Public Health and Environmental Studies, 9(3), 77–88. Abubakar, I. R. (2018). Exploring the determinants of open defecation in Nigeria using demographic and health survey data. Science of the Total Environment, 637–638, 1455– https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.104 Azeez, A., Negi, D. P., & Mishra, A. K. (2019). The effects of sanitation access on school attendance and health outcomes among adolescent girls in developing countries. World Development Perspectives, 15, 100133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2019.100133 Belay, D. G., Asratie, M. H., Aragaw, F. M., Tsega, N. T., Endalew, M., & Gashaw, M. (2023). Open defecation practice and its determinants among households in sub-Saharan Africa: Pooled prevalence and multilevel analysis of 33 sub-Saharan Africa countries’ demographic and health survey. BMC Public Health, 23, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16666-6 Dauda, M., & Umar, A. (2015). An assessment of the open defecation-free campaign in Nigeria: A historical and policy analysis. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 4(11), 781–790. Federal Ministry of Water Resources, National Bureau of Statistics, World Bank, & UNICEF. (2022). Water, sanitation and hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM) report 2021. UNICEF Nigeria. Ismail, A. H., & Isa, H. A. (2023). Application of the Health Belief Model to sanitation behavior in rural Kano, Nigeria. Journal of Health Promotion and Behavior, 8(1), 1–9. Kashiwase, H. (2023, November?17). World Toilet Day: 420 million people are defecating outdoors. World Bank Blogs. Kogi State Bureau for Lands and Urban Development. (2021). Annual land use and development report [Unpublished report]. Kogi State Government. LAUTECH Journal of Nursing. (2025). Cultural perspectives on sanitation: Evidence from rural Nigeria. LAUTECH Journal of Nursing, 6(1), 42–53. Odo, I. N., Nwachukwu, O. M., & Mba, I. T. (2021). Applying the Health Belief Model to explain sanitation behavior among households in southeast Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Health Research, 20(4), 228–239. Paul, D. (2023). Household sanitation practices among agricultural families in rural Haiti: Gender dynamics and socio-economic barriers. International Journal of Rural Studies, 30(1), 55– Prüss-Ustün, A., Wolf, J., Bartram, J., Clasen, T., Cumming, O., Freeman, M. C., ... & Cairncross, S. (2019). Burden of disease from inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene for selected adverse health outcomes: An updated analysis with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 222(5), 765–777. https://doi.org/10.101 Salaudeen, A. (2025). Analysis of fertility and women empowerment in Kogi Central Senatorial District (Unpublished master's thesis). Federal University Lokoja. World Health Organization & UNICEF. (2019). Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000–2017: Special focus on inequalities (JMP report). WHO.

Open Defecation: Assessment of Health and Social Impact in Central Senatorial District of Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

Keywords

References

More Articles from IIARD INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT