Determinants of Latrine Utilization in the Rural Communities

There is poor utilization of latrines among individuals and families in some communities in Ethiopia. The possession of an improved latrine, on its own, will not halt the transmission of faeco-orally transmitted diseases among the people of your community. There are several factors affecting the utilization of latrine in a given community including; the bad smell of a latrine, lack of privacy if the shelter is inadequate, childhood habits that are hard to break and many more. The factors will vary from place to place depending on the local context. Behavioral, demographic, geographic, climatic, social, cultural and economic reasons can deter families from using latrines. There are other more practical reasons such as the use of inappropriate materials for latrine construction, the collapse of latrines due to termites, flooding problems or loose soil conditions, and the need for frequent maintenance. But little is known about current latrine utilization and their determinants. In view of all the above facts, this study sought to assess latrine utilization in rural communities of northern Ethiopia to identify the gaps in the current practices.