Building a household sanitation index and exploring the socio-economic drivers

Abstract

Sanitation is multifaceted and requires a broad-spectrum measure to fully account for it, its interpretation and subsequent evaluation for effective policy making. The objective of this study was to develop a sanitation index at the household level by incorporating water, sanitation and hygiene indicators, as well as socioeconomic drivers. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Greater Taung, Magareng and Matatiele Local Municipalities in South Africa. Multiple sampling methods were used to obtain a sample of 1184 households. Min-max normalization revealed that the sanitation index was average to low, primarily due to poor hygiene, inadequate water treatment and poor water quality. The natural, social justice and toilet facility indices all contributed to reducing the overall index. Tobit regression analysis revealed that household income, employment status, duration of stay, marital status, age, gender, educational level and main source of income were significant factors influencing sanitation levels. In conclusion, average to high levels of sanitation were observed, primarily due to hygiene practices, water treatment and water quality. Furthermore, sanitation levels were influenced by various socio-economic factors. The study recommends that sanitation policymakers consider water and hygiene. Bringing together the relevant government departments responsible for these under one umbrella would improve efficiency. Limitations such as the oversimplification of the single produced index can be overcome by refining and expanding the indicators to include health outcomes, social practices and environmental factors. South Africa’s legal framework should also be adapted to provide a more comprehensive indicator.