Abstract
Improved drinking water and sanitation are indispensable to human survival. Yet, millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) lacked access to improved water and sanitation. The situation in urban areas is projected to be worsened by high rate of urbanisation. To better inform targeting of vulnerable urban households with WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) interventions, this study for the first time assessed the socioeconomic and demographic factors shaping urban household access to improved water and sanitation in Ghana, using the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey microdata. Six (6) potential factors, comprising sex of household head (HH), age of HH, household size, marital status of HH, educational level of HH and household wealth were analyzed through cross-tabulation, chi-square test and binary logistic regression. All six (6) factors significantly influenced urban household access to improved sanitation. Except for sex and age of HHs, all other socioeconomic and demographic factors also showed a statistically significant association with access to improved water. Households that were more likely to have access to improved water and sanitation include households with female heads, households with small sizes (1–3), households with heads who were 30 years or more, households with heads who were married or living with a partner, households with heads who had attained at least primary education and households that were the nonpoorest. The conclusion section highlights the implications of the results for the design and implementation of WASH interventions in urban areas in Ghana, and similar areas in SSA as a whole.
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Data for the study is available in the DHS and GSS data repository for download.
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Acknowledgements
The author is extremely grateful to the Ghana Statistical Service for granting access to the 2014 Ghana Demographic Health Survey (GDHS) microdata for the study.
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No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript. However, the 2014 GDHS data which was used for the study was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Global Fund, UNICEF, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), and the government of Ghana.
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Dongzagla, A. Socioeconomic and demographic factors affecting urban household access to improved water and sanitation in Ghana. GeoJournal 87, 4763–4773 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-021-10534-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-021-10534-y