Is Using a Latrine “A Strange Thing To Do”? A Mixed-Methods Study of Sanitation Preference and Behaviors in Rural Ethiopia

Kristen Aiemjoy Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.

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Nicole E. Stoller Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.

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Sintayehu Gebresillasie Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.

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Ayalew Shiferaw The Carter Center, Atlanta, Georgia.

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Zerihun Tadesse The Carter Center, Atlanta, Georgia.

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Tegene Sewent Michael Dejene Public Health Consultancy Services, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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Bezuayehu Ayele Michael Dejene Public Health Consultancy Services, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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Melsew Chanyalew Amhara Regional Health Bureau, Bahir-Dar, Ethiopia.

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Solomon Aragie The Carter Center, Atlanta, Georgia.

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Kelly Callahan The Carter Center, Atlanta, Georgia.

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Aisha Stewart The Carter Center, Atlanta, Georgia.

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Paul M. Emerson The Taskforce for Global Health, Decatur, Georgia.

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Thomas M. Lietman Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.

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Jeremy D. Keenan Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.

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Catherine E. Oldenburg Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.

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Latrines are the most basic form of improved sanitation and are a common public health intervention. Understanding motivations for building and using latrines can help develop effective, sustainable latrine promotion programs. We conducted a mixed-methods study of latrine use in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. We held 15 focus group discussions and surveyed 278 households in five communities. We used the Integrated Behavioral Model for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene interventions to guide our qualitative analysis. Seventy-one percent of households had a latrine, but coverage varied greatly across communities. Higher household income was not associated with latrine use (odds ratio [OR] = 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.5, 7.7); similarly, cost and availability of materials were not discussed as barriers to latrine use in the focus groups. Male-headed households were more likely to use latrines than households with female heads (OR = 3.5; 95% CI = 1.6, 7.7), and households with children in school were more likely to use latrines than households without children in school (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.6, 3.3). These quantitative findings were confirmed in focus groups, where participants discussed how children relay health messages from school. Participants discussed how women prefer not to use latrines, often finding them strange or even scary. These findings are useful for public health implementation; they imply that community-level drivers are important predictors of household latrine use and that cost is not a significant barrier. These findings confirm that school-aged children may be effective conduits of health messages and suggest that latrines can be better marketed and designed for women.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Kristen Aiemjoy, Proctor Foundation, University of California San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, MedSci 334A, Box 0412, San Francisco, CA 94143. E-mail: kristen.aiemjoy@ucsf.edu

Financial support: This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health–National Eye Institute (U10 EY016214) and That Man May See (San Francisco, CA). Catherine E. Oldenburg receives support from NIH T32DA013911 and NIH R25MH083620.

Authors' addresses: Kristen Aiemjoy, Nicole E. Stoller, Thomas M. Lietman, Jeremy D. Keenan, and Catherine E. Oldenburg, Proctor Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, E-mails: kristen.aiemjoy@ucsf.edu, nicolestoller@gmail.com, tom.lietman@ucsf.edu, jeremy.keenan@ucsf.edu, and catherine.oldenburg@ucsf.edu. Sintayehu Gebresillasie, Ayalew Shiferaw, Zerihun Tadesse, Solomon Aragie, Kelly Callahan, and Aisha Stewart, The Carter Center, Atlanta, GA, E-mails: sintayehugs@gmail.com, ayalewsisu2003@gmail.com, zerihun.tadesse@cartercenter.org, solomon.aragie@cartercenter.org, kelly.callahan@cartercenter.org, and aisha.stewart@cartercenter.org. Tegene Sewent and Bezuayehu Ayele, Michael Dejene Public Health Consultancy Services, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, E-mails: tegenesew@yahoo.com and buzew2007@yahoo.com. Melsew Chanyalew, Amhara Regional Health Bureau, Bahir-Dar, Ethiopia, E-mail: yeshiwork97@yahoo.com. Paul M. Emerson, The Taskforce for Global Health, Decatur, GA, E-mail: pemerson@taskforce.org.

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