Determinants of Households’ Access to Improved Water Sources, Sanitation and Handwashing facilities among Under-18 Orphans: A Secondary Analysis of 2018 Demographic Health Surveys

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate households’ access to improved water sources, sanitation and handwashing facilities among under-18 orphans in Nigeria. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2018 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 6152 orphans were included. Access to improved water, sanitation and presence of handwashing facilities were the main outcome variable. SPSS version 26.0 was used for data analysis. Statistical significance was declared at p < 0.05. Results: The respondents mean age was 10.5±4.5years which about half (50.3%) were female. Respondents from rural areas were 73.8% less likely to have access to improved source of water supply compared to those who were from urban areas (OR=0.262, CI: 0.231-0.297). Also, those with higher education were 9.2 times more likely to have access to improved sanitation as compared to those who had no education (OR=9.212, CI: 1.131-75.005). Also, orphans from rural communities were 13.8% less likely to have access to basic hand washing facilities compared to those who were from urban communities (OR=0.862, CI: 0.762-0.976). Conclusion: This study revealed that some socio-demographic characteristics were significant determinants to access to improved water, sanitation and presence of handwashing facilities in the households.