Dirty Toilets a Health Threat: Social-cognitive and Dilemma Factors Influencing Collective Cleaning of Shared Toilets in Kampala’s Urban Slums, Uganda

Abstract

Introduction We use the RANAS (risks, attitudes, norms, ability and self-regulation) model and items derived from social dilemma theory to assess behavioural determinants influencing shared toilet users’ collective cleaning. Methods A cross-sectional quantitative study conducted in three slums of Kampala. Linear regression used at multivariate analysis to test for associations. Results Out of 424 respondents, 44.3% cleaned their toilets daily. Dirty toilets were attributed to many users (40.9%) and non-cooperation (30.2%). RANAS factors significantly (P<0.05) associated with respondents’ collective cleaning behaviour were affective (?=-0.13) and self-regulation factors such as coping planning (?=0.42), commitment (? = 0.24) and remembering (?=0.10). The social motive social dilemma factor of respondents cleaning cooperation (?=0.15) was also significant. Conclusion We found that the RANAS model is important for the assessment provided health behaviours such as the collective cleaning behaviour of shared toilet users investigated in this study. The model explains 77% of the variance in respondents collective cleaning behaviour.