The Relationship between Poor Sanitation and Socio-economic Status of Residents in Tamale, Ghana

The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between poor sanitation and the socio-economic factors of residents in Tamale. The study used both qualitative and quantitative sampling techniques to achieve the objectives of the study. Tamale was stratified into three zones. Each zone was then grouped into low, middle, and high-income groups, and one community was randomly selected from each income bracket of each zone. All nine (9) communities were selected for the study. In each zone, 128 households were systematically selected for the survey. In total, 384 households took part in the survey. Stakeholders in sanitation were purposefully selected for in-depth interviews. Three focus groups (nine persons in each group) were held to confirm the findings from the surveys and the interviews. Observations were employed in areas such as gutters, forests, and open spaces to have firsthand information on the state of sanitation in Tamale. The data gathered were subjected to both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The study revealed that 105 respondents, representing 27.4% of the respondents, had household toilets, and 150 respondents, representing 39.1% of the respondents, either shared toilets with neighbours or used public toilets. 129 respondents, representing about 33.5% of the respondents, practised open defecation. 100 respondents (26.0%) practised open defecation because the toilets were smelling, and 74 respondents (19.4%) said the ventilation in the toilets was poor. However, 180 respondents (46.9%) were aware that open defecation spreads diseases. The analysis of variants showed that ownership of household toilets was significantly dependent on income, education, and household size at p=0.000. The study concludes that ignorance and poverty were the causes of poor sanitation in Tamale. The study recommends that education, economic empowerment, and sensitization were necessary to improve the sanitation situation in Tamale.