PREVALENCE, DETERMINANTS AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS FOR OPEN DEFECATION AMONG RESIDENTS OF SELECTED COMMUNITIES IN MORO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KWARA STATE

Background: The practice of open defecation i.e. defecating in an open environment such as fields, bushes, rivers, or streets rather than using agent (toilets) remains the most sanitation and public health challenges in developing countries. Continuation of open defecation exercise is driven through some factors such as poverty, low educational level, poor hygiene awareness and deep-rooted cultural beliefs. Objective: Thus, the aim of this study is to determine the prevalence, determinants, and associated risk factors for open defecation among residents of selected communities in Moro Local Government Area, Kwara State. Methodology: Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the data on respondent characteristics using; tables, graphs and charts. Inferential statistical method (chi-square tests), was used to test significant associations between the outcome variable (practice of open defecation leading to adverse health outcomes) and the independent variables/factors (socio-demographic characteristics). The level of significance for the statistical tests was set at 0.05 Results: Findings show that 58.1% of the respondents reported having access to a functional toilet, 43.8% reported that their household uses the toilet exclusively, 15.0% indicate that they share the toilet with extended family, while 41.3% stated that the toilet is shared with multiple households. When asked where they defecate when not using a toilet, most respondents (75.3%) reported defecating in the bush, small number (3.1%) reported using rivers and farmlands (3.1%), 18.4% cite other methods such as using pits, 39.1% practice open defecation daily, 29.4% do so several times, 11.9% occasionally, 49.1% identify financial constraints as the primary deterrent, 24.1% cited lack of water as a key limitation, 15.0% cited absence of land prevents them from building toilets, 11.3% cited poor toilet conditions, 23.1% of respondents reported that a member of their household had experienced diarrhoea, typhoid, or worm infections within the past six months, (48.4%) reported that their community had not received toilet-building support from either the government, 53.4% of individuals had attended sanitation awareness meetings. On the preferred interventions to reduce open defecation, a dominant 95.3% favoured the provision of free toilets as the most effective strategy. Conclusion: The study reveals that most people are ready to change if they get help, meaning that any solution must focus on helping poor families, building good toilets, improving water supply, and spreading education in the community, of which if these steps are taken together, it can help reduce open defecation and improve the health and environment of the people.