ABSTRACT

Households’ choices of water for domestic and economic purposes and associated hygiene practices have implications for their health. However, scant documentation exists on this, particularly in the Ghanaian context. Using a mixed-methods cross-sectional research design, we conducted interviews with 86 household heads or their representatives (both male and female) to explore the factors that influence water choices, hygiene practices, and public health implications in Northern Ghana. Findings suggest that water choices among participants were influenced mainly by ease of access, availability, and traditional belief systems rather than safety reasons. While the study households drew water mainly from traditional sources including wells, ponds, and streams, socio-cultural practices such as burying the dead near wells make these water sources unsafe. This poses potential health risks to residents. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goal on water, sanitation and hygiene, the Tatale-Sanguli District Assembly should step up efforts in providing potable water and also educate residents against the obsolete and health-endangering socio-cultural practices such as burying the dead near wells.

摘要

家庭出于家庭和经济目的选择水以及相关的卫生习惯对他们的健康有影响。但是，关于这一点的文献很少，尤其是在加纳的情况下。我们采用混合方法横断面研究设计，对86位户主或其代表（男性和女性）进行了访谈，以探讨影响加纳北部水选择，卫生习惯和公共卫生影响的因素。研究结果表明，参与者之间的水选择主要受到获取，获取和传统信仰系统的便利性的影响，而不是出于安全原因。虽然研究家庭主要从井，池塘和溪流等传统来源取水，但将死者埋在井附近等社会文化习俗使这些水源不安全。这给居民带来了潜在的健康风险。为了实现有关水，环境卫生和个人卫生的可持续发展目标，塔塔莱-桑古利区议会应加紧努力提供饮用水，并教育居民避免过时和危害健康的社会文化习俗，例如将死者埋在井口附近。