Onsite Proper Solid Waste Handling Practices and Associated Factors Among Condominium Residents in Debre-Markos Town, East Gojjam Zone, North West Ethiopia: A Community Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Solid waste handling is defined as the separation, collection, storing, reducing, reusing or recycling and preparing for disposal of solid waste materials so as to reduce their effect on human health, environment and aesthetics. The government of Ethiopia constructed many condominium houses as a solution for the high need of residential houses to urban dwellers. However, waste handling and management practices have not given consideration and emphasis for the condominium houses.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the onsite proper solid waste handling practices and determine the associated factors among condominium residents in Debre Markos town, Amhara region, 2018.

Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in Debre-Markos town. A total of 343 households were selected by simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using interviewer administered structured questionnaire developed after reviewing different literature. The questionnaire was pre-tested on 5% of the total prior to the actual data collection time in other town. The reliability of questionnaire was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha and found to be good (α=0.80). Data were collected by nurses and environmental health professionals from March 22nd to 28th/2018. Completeness and consistency of data were checked on daily basis. Data were coded, entered and cleaned using Epi-info and exported to SPSS version 23 for further analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to determine the significant association between independent and dependent variables. Binary logistic regression was run to identify candidate variables for multivariate logistic regression. Those variables with a p-value <0.25 in the binary logistic regression were entered in to multivariate analyses to control confounders and check the significant association between independent and dependent variables. Significant association was set at a p-value < 0.05.The model fitness was checked by using Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of fit test.

Results: All the 343 households, with 100% response rate, gave complete responses. The mean (± SD) age of participants was 31 (±6.8) years. Proper solid waste handling practices of the participants in condominium was 23.9%. The main daily generated solid waste was food residue that accounts 37.3%.  Almost ten percent (9.3%) of the households separated the waste at the source and 6.4% reused it. Residents who have low participation on solid waste campaign (AOR=2.11, 95% CI: 1.05-4.45), using single solid waste storage material (AOR= 5.34, 95% CI: 2.78-10.2), stored solid waste in plastic type of storage (AOR: 3.02, 95% CI= 1.61-5.64), residents’ perceptions on lack of policy enforcement and responsibility (AOR: 2.16, 95% CI; 1.18-3.94) and households’ with <3,000 Ethiopian birr monthly income (AOR=3.48, 95% CI: 1.65-7.60) were significantly associated factors with onsite proper handling practices.

Conclusions: Condominium residents’ onsite solid waste handling practice found to be poor. Households’ participation on solid waste management campaign, availability and communication of enforcement policies of solid waste handling practices to the residents need to be focusing area of proper solid waste handling practices.