Factors Influencing the adoption of sanitation systems in rural communities (Kenya)

The provision of adequate sanitation has been pointed out as one of the common strategies of preventing sanitation-related diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera. However, addressing gaps in sanitation coverage will require not only fundamental shifts in policy making and funding priorities but also significant and meaningful changes in behavior at the individual household and community level. The study objectives were: to examine the influence of social and cultural factors, economic factors and sanitation technologies on the adoption of sanitation systems in rural communities. The study adopted convergent mixed methods design where both qualitative and quantitative data was gathered simultaneously. Quantitative data was gathered using questionnaires from 388 household heads. Qualitative data was collected from a purposively selected focus group consisting of 13 participants. The quantitative data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 which generated descriptive and inferential statistics to examine the relationship between variables.  From the findings, 86% of the residents adopted pit latrines, some of which had no roofs and slabs and 15 % of the households practiced open defecation. From a mean of 3.39, participants demonstrated that gender roles had an influence on adoption of sanitation practices (SD=0.569). Traditions and open defecation recorded a negative relationship (-0.256) which was significant (P-value = 0.007<0.05). The employment status of the households influenced the choice of sanitation options to a great extent (mean = 4.1146). Household income influenced the choice of sanitation systems with a mean of 4.1146. The study recommends the need for Public Health Officers to popularize approved toilet designs for use in rural communities by training masons. Sanitation policies formulated should embrace gender-based inequalities. The Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) strategy in the public health practice should target open defecation and enlighten residents to adopt properly constructed sanitation technologies and facilities.