Disposal of Polythene Bags Among Residents of Lira City, Northern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study

Disposal of Polythene Bags Among Residents of Lira City, Northern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Disposal of Polythene Bags Among Residents of Lira City, Northern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study Cecilia Adyero, Sam Orech, Irene Auma, Charles Okolimong, Anne Ruth Akello This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4757110/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Improper disposal of used polythene bags waste remains a significant public health challenge worldwide. In Uganda, 53% of solid wastes are generated in urban areas, especially in households. Lira City passed a solid waste management ordinance 2019 to support solid waste management including polythene bags, and use of enforcement among others but the implementation of the interventional measures remains a challenge since Polythene bags are used as daily shopping bags, and also for packaging food. This study therefore assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices of residents of Lira City on the disposal of used polythene bags. Methods A cross-sectional study survey was employed. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected among 421 randomly selected residents of Lira City. Data was collected using structured Questionnaires and key interview guides through face-to-face interviews. Quantitative data analysis was done using STATA Version 17, summarized as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Pearson Chi-square test was run for bivariate analysis, and multivariate analysis using logistic regression p-value of 0.05 to obtain significant variables associated with the outcome variable. Qualitative data analysis was manually done using the Braun & Clerke 2016, 6 steps. Results Overall, the rate was 99.8%. Disposal practices of respondents were improper at 52.5%, a good number of the respondents 42.5% were aged 18 to 28 years, female 64.9%, and 34.9% attained a primary level of education. Most of them were self-employed 41.1%, married 61.3%, and Catholic 35.2%. The majority 78.9% had good knowledge of proper disposal of used polythene bags. Significant factors associated with used polythene bags disposal among residents in Lira City were age [AOR = 3.007; 95% CI; 1.074–8.417], Sex [AOR = 1.2; 95% CI; 0.82–1.97], Reduced Injuries [AOR = 1.2; 95% CI; 0.38–4.15], Drainage blockage [AOR = 3.04; 95% CI; 2.00-4.63], and Human Health Problems [AOR = 1.7; 95% CI; 1.15–2.73]. Conclusion knowledge of disposal of used polythene bags was good; disposal practices were poor at 52.5%. KII reported a knowledge gap in managing used polythene bags which has become a major challenge in Lira city. “The waste management practices of the people in the peri-urban areas of the city are very poor and it’s even worse with used polythene bags. Therefore, need for awareness creation on general waste management with emphasis on the disposal of used polythene bags” KI-1 said. Knowledge attitude practices disposal polythene bags residents of Lira City INTRODUCTION Globally, solid waste generation is increasing, with polythene bags leading the way. In Sub-Saharan Africa, plastic waste generation is influenced by a variety of factors, including urbanization [ 8 ]. As of the year 2019, the population of sub-Saharan Africa was estimated to be approximately 1 billion and the amount of generated waste was 180 million tonnes at the rate of 0.5% per capita per day and 70% was openly dumped with 17 million tonnes of the plastic waste generated annually according to Olusola et al 2019. In Africa more than 15 countries are taking the plastic bag problem very seriously by either imposing a ban or charging huge taxes on them, and some of these countries include Kenya, Mali, Cameroon, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia and the efficacy of the bans and taxes are hard to nail down and concretize because there is still a black market for plastic bags and people still use them illegally [ 4 ]. The used polythene bags waste from urban cites contributes to the world’s 1.3 billion tons of waste generated annually which is expected to increase to 2.2 billion tons by 2025 [ 12 ]. In Uganda, like in many other developing countries, typically one to two thirds of the solid waste generated is not collected [ 10 ]. More than 53% of Uganda’s solid waste is generated in urban centers from households [ 9 ]. As a result, the uncollected solid waste, including the polythene bags end up in rivers, tunnels and other water ways causing blockage. The poor disposal of polythene bags contributes to flooding, breeding of insects and rodent vectors with over two million birds and animals dying every year due to eating of polythene bags or as a result of chocking. The government of Uganda has developed a number of legal and institutional frameworks to address the challenge of solid waste management across urban towns and cities; including the Public Health Act, the constitution of the Republic of Uganda 1995 Article 245 (a) that provides measures intended-to protect and preserve the environment from abuse, pollution and degradation,” The National Environment (Waste Management) Regulations, S.I. No 52/1999; The Local Government Act 1997, solid waste management ordinances [ 14 ]. All those legal frameworks have provisions of how wastes should be properly managed to protect and manage the environment, with an aim of conserving and preserving the environment. Additionally, Uganda has also attempted to ban plastic bags usage but implementation has been spotty because of lobbying by manufacturers, disagreement among politicians and a lack of public awareness about the need to rigorously implement and adhere to the ban. In April 2015, despite numerous callous demonstrations from members of private sector, including court battles, the Ministry of Water and Environment under National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) put into action the ban on importation, manufacture and use of polythene bags of gauge below 30 microns. The implementation however has not been a rosy one as it affected businesses and other government agencies including the cabinet which fought the ban calling for its suspension; leaving the public in a state of indecision and others continue to use the banned substance despite threats of legal action from NEMA. Countries like Australia as a whole don't have a ban on plastic bags; however, several states and territories have begun to put bans in place, including the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Tasmania and this approach can be adopted by Lira city authorities [ 13 ]. In addition to solving the problem, in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has made an effort to provide street dustbins, do garbage collection in a more frequent manner in places where plastic litter can prevent the flow of waste water. According to Jean Marie Takouleu 2021, Coca cola has also signed a Memorandum of understanding with Care and Assistance for Forced Migrants (CAFOMI) to encourage recycling and increase on what people earn from collecting plastic waste from $ 0.05 per kilogram to $ 0.13. According to the Nile Post 2019, in another attempt to reduce the problem of the polythene bags litter, an entrepreneur called Aweko Faith has come up with an innovative way to transform discarded plastic bags into backpacks for everyday use in her organization named transform Africa based in Mpigi Uganda. Lira city is one of the newly created cities in the country with an increasing population growth rate estimated to increase to 596,900 people from the current 478,500 people by 2030, and the population density is highest around the urban and peri urban areas within lira according the district National Development Plan (NDP) III 2021. Literature shows that indiscriminate disposal of used polythene bags is associated with poor knowledge, attitude and practices, especially at household level. A study in Kenya showed that more than 50 per cent of household dwellers with sheep and goats lacked knowledge on the danger of plastic bags on their animals [ 3 ]. Relatedly, lack of cost- effective disposal alternative methods and weak enforcement of existing laws on waste disposal, in the presence of limited knowledge and attitude constrained Costal cities in Sir Lanka to effectively dispose plastic polythene waste [ 5 ]. As a result of indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes, including polythene bags, especially in urban towns and cities [ 7 ], drainage channels are blocked resulting in flooding, while water logging caused by used polythene bags act as breeding cites for insects and rodent vectors. This causes increase in the prevalence of diseases such as malaria and diarrhoeal diseases, in addition to risking the lives of animal with 60% dying as a result of consumption [ 12 ]. According to the City Environment officer, annually approximately 22,000 tonnes of solid waste are generated, 23.4% plastic waste in Lira and approximately 17,000 tonnes disposed of, and the rest remains uncollected and currently there no documented literature on disposed used polythene waste for the city. This study therefore investigated the knowledge, attitude and practices on used polythene bags disposal among residents in Lira city because there is limited information/ data on the used polyethene bags among the city residents. METHODOLOGY Study Design A cross-sectional study survey was employed. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and the core data of the study was formed by the personal insights of the study participants. A mixed methods approach was allowed for statistical inferences made through quantitative methods and was reinforced by qualitative methods to offer interpretive descriptive accounts of the study participants. Study Area The study was carried out in Lira city which has 2 divisions Lira City East and Lira City West. The city has 7 Wards where Lira City East has Railways, Adekokwok, Ngetta, Central and Lira City West division has Adyel, Ojwina and Lira wards, and the study was conducted in four wards within the two divisions which are Adyel, Lira, Central, and Adekokwok. Lira City is located in the Lango sub-region in northern Uganda. Physically the district lies between latitudes 10 21’ and 20 42’ north of the Equator and longitudes 20 53’ and 30 37’ east of Greenwich. The city is bordered by the districts of Lira in the north with Agago also in the north, Otuke in the northeast, Alebtong in the east, Dokolo in the south, Kwania in the southwest, Kole in the west, Oyam and Gulu in the northwest. The district covers approximately a total area 1,326 km2 of which 1286.22 km2 is land area. The other 39.78 square kilometers constitute forest reserves, wetlands and geomorphic landforms. The city is 368kms from Kampala City in the central part of Uganda. Subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry and commercial fishing from area lakes constitute the economic engine of the district. Crops grown include: Cotton, Cassava, Sunflower, Soybeans, Oranges, Bananas, Simsim, Rice, Maize, Beans, Millet and Sweet potatoes. Livestock raised in the city includes: cattle, goats, chicken and turkeys. Study Population This study was carried out among residents that resided in the four wards in Lira city. According to UBOS it’s estimated that the population of Lira city by 2021 would be 249,900 people. Eligibility Criteria Inclusion criteria All residents above 18 years of age with a sound mind staying in households (HHs) for at least 6 months within the selected ward participated in the study. Exclusion criteria All residents above 18 years of age, who were severely ill to respond to the interviews and health workers, were excluded from the study. Determining the sample Size The sample size was determined using the Kish Leslie (1965) formula for the calculation of sample size. Calculated from the formula; n= \(\:\frac{{z}^{2}PQ}{{d}^{2}}\) Where; n = Estimated sample size, z = is the standard deviation corresponding to 95% and confidence interval usually 1.96, p = is the prevalence of people with knowledge, attitude and practices on disposal of used polythene bags, (Since there is limited information on a related study done, 50% was assumed for maximum variation) q = 1-p, d = 0.05 is the acceptable margin of error at 95% confidence interval. n = 1.96*1.96*0.5*0.5/0.05*0.05 = 3.841*0.25/0.0025 = 0.96025/0.0025 = 384 participants Therefore, when a 10% non-response rate is considered and the sample size was 422 participants for this study. Sampling Procedure Probability sampling methods were used, focusing two clusters at the city divisions that are East and West, a list of all the 7 wards were generated and a simple random sampling by ballot technique with replacement was used to select 50% of the wards. Where two (2) wards were picked from each division. From the 4 wards, lists of all the parishes in each ward were then generated and using simple random sampling, two (2) parishes in each ward were selected. At the parish, lists of all the villages/cells were also generated and simple random sampling by ballot technique was then used to select two (2) villages/cells from each parish. At the village/cell level, sampling proportionate to size and systematic sampling was employed using a table of random numbers of households using an interval of five (5) from the Village register to obtain respondents to take part in the study (Table 1 ). Table 1 Sampling procedure to obtain the respondents Divisions Wards Parishes Villages /Cells Respondents East and West Simple random sampling by Ballot technique Simple random Sampling Simple random sampling by Ballot technique Systematic Sampling using Random number Table 4 wards Adyel 2 Parishes 2 villages/cells 106 Railways 2 Parishes 2 villages/cells 105 Central 2 Parishes 2 villages/cells 106 Lira 2 Parishes 2 villages/cells 105 Total 4 selected Wards 8 selected Parishes 8 selected villages/cells 422 respondents Purposive sampling was used to identify the participants for the key informant interviews where a list of all the descion makers from both city east and west were listed down from top to bottom and this guided the researcher to ask specific questions in line with the research objectives and 08 key implementers and decision makers in the city were interviewed (Table 2 ). Table 2 Participants for KII Title City East City West Town Clerks 01 01 City Environment Officer 01 City Principal Health Inspector 01 City Health Inspector 01 01 Principal Medical Officer 01 01 Data collection Procedures Data was obtained from the primary source. The primary data was collected using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative data collection was done using interviewer administered questionnaires with full observation of the covid-19 SOPs. After the ethical approval, the student got an introductory letter from the university and later sought for permission from the different relevant offices including the office of the city clerk, local council one to conduct the study before the data collection process commenced. All the responses were directly entered into the electronic questionnaire opened through the Kobo collect android application that was installed in all the smart phones that were used for data collection. Key informant interviews were conducted with all the identified relevant city authorities and divisions and these include the town clerks for the two divisions of Lira City East and Lira City West since they are responsible for the entire management of City, the City Environment Officer currently responsible for the general solid management in the city, the City Principal Health Inspector is in charge of the overall sanitation issues including solid waste management directly supervises the Ward Health inspectors. The ward health inspectors directly supervise the solid waste management in the entire ward in a given division. The Principal Medical Officer is responsible for the general public health management for the city. The interview guide was used as guide for the informant interviews which were conducted face to face and was recorded as audio using a smart phone that was later transcribed for systematic analysis. Data for this study was collected by research assistants who were selected and trained on the data collection tools, the questionnaires were tested where the study would not be conducted, and adjustments were done accordingly. The principal investigator supported with the research assistants with conducting the key informant interviews. Data Collection Tools The following were the data collection tools used to collect the quantitative and qualitative data. They include the following; Structured Questionnaire The questionnaire was used to support the collection of quantitative data during interviews with the participants. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by trained field staff who administered the structured questionnaires. The questionnaire had four main sections for data collection, information on: (1) household and demographic characteristics; (2) Knowledge on disposal of used polythene waste; (3) Attitude of the respondents on used polythene waste disposal, and (4) Used Polythene waste disposal practices. Sections of the questionnaire, particularly the household and demographic characteristics were partly adopted from the standard Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) Demographic Household Surveys (DHS) questionnaires while the other sections were developed by the author based on the objectives of the study and review of available literature. The Key Informant Guide The key informant guide was used to collect qualitative data and in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants who were selected based on the knowledge about the study subject and level of authority in the city council. The participants included the town clerks for the two divisions of Lira City East and Lira City West since they are responsible for the entire management of City, the City Environment Officer currently responsible for the general solid management in the city, the City Principal Health Inspector is in charge of the overall sanitation issues including solid waste management directly supervises the Ward Health inspectors. The ward health inspectors directly supervise the solid waste management in the entire ward in a given division. The Principal Medical Officer is responsible for the general public health management for the city. The key issues for the interviews included disposal of used polythene bags, ordinances on solid waste and used polythene bags disposal, general domestic solid waste management, private sector involvement in solid waste management Study Variables: Dependent variables The practices of residents on disposal of used polythene bags was measured as a composite variable based on 9 items on practices on used polythene bags disposal among households. This was then converted into overall scores and transformed into a binary outcome (1 = Proper practices on disposal of used polythene bags and 2 = Improper practices on disposal of used polythene bags). Independent variables Independent variables included household and demographic characteristics, Knowledge and the attitude of the respondents on used polythene waste disposal (Table 3 ). The variables are described as below: Table 3 Independent variables Study Variables Continuous Variable Description Age Age of the respondents in completed years Quantity of waste generated Average daily quantity generated Distance to the disposal point Distance to the final disposal site Quantity of Polythene Bags generated Average per week generated Categorical Marital status Single, Married, Divorced, Widow/Widower Occupation Farmer, Professional, Business Education level of Respondents Primary, Secondary, Post- Secondary/Tertiary, None Area of Residence Location of Respondents Sex of Respondents Male, Female Level of awareness Open ended Responses Disposal methods Open ended Reponses Availability of disposal facilities Yes or No Data Quality Control Data quality control was employed to remove mistakes, make data clean, robust and useful in order to ensure accuracy, completeness and credibility of results, the following quality control measures were applied: Data collectors and supervisor were selected based on their experience in the field of data collection and supervision. Field staffs (data collectors and supervisor) were trained for three days before the commencement of data collection. During training, the objective of the study, procedures of data collection, kobo tool box and supervision were discussed in detail. Each question included in the questionnaire; key informant interview guide was discussed in detail for more clarity to the data collectors. All tools were pretested to ensure that data collected is credible as possible and this was done in selected households which were not part of the study and testing the Key Informant Interview checklist with the responsible city authorities. Each day, the collected data were checked for its completeness and consistence by supervisors and the principal investigator. Data was cleaned and rechecked through double data entry. Content Validity The researcher ensured content validity of instruments by consulting experienced and skilled researchers including the supervisors. The researcher first pre-tested the questionnaires before administering it to test its validity. Results from the field helped to further refine and standardize the questionnaires. Reliability To ensure quality of this study, the researcher took several measures during the field work, analysis and conclusion process. Before the actual collection of data, data instruments were pretested on at least 10 respondents selected from one of the wards of the division not included in the study. The pretesting helped the researcher confirm the estimated time that the interviews would take per participant, and approximately the time to complete the study was 25 minutes. The pretest also helped to identify and take note of potential problems in the questionnaire and make adjustments accordingly. Data Management and Analysis Data management The data entry was done in excel sheets using the interviewer administered structured questionnaires in which data was collected. The entered data was exported to STATA version 17.0 for cleaning and analysis. The Qualitative data were collected through KIIs using in-depth interviews. The data collected was entered into the excel sheet to tally themes generated manually according to the objectives of the study. Quantitative data analysis Data analysis was done using STATA version 17.0. Univariate analysis was used to generate proportions and percentages using the measures of central tendency; that is mean, median and mode. Bivariate analysis was used to find out associations between the dependent and independent variables, where chi square test was used for categorical variables. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the several independent variables associated with outcome variable using logistic regression. Qualitative Data Analysis Qualitative data was analyzed using Braun Clerke (2016) 6 steps according to the objectives and the responses with the most frequencies was scored as 1 and then followed by 2 and the least responses was coded as 3. The data analyzed was to supplement the quantitative data that was analyzed as well. The data was extracted from the kobo collect application and exported into Excel spreadsheets for preliminary coding and categorization to make it coherent and flowing and later exported to STATA for final analysis. Content analysis was done in order to categorize verbal, for purposes of classification, summarization and tabulation to make sense of the data collected and to highlight the important messages, features or findings. Narrative analysis was done to ensure that topics and contents are coherent and they make sense to the variables of interest that needed interpretation. Ethical Considerations To ensure that the study conducted upheld ethical criteria, the following were done; Institutional consent Ethical approval for this study was done by the Gulu University Research and Ethics Committee (GUREC) (GUREC-2021-119). Once approval was done by the Ethics review committee, an introduction letter was obtained from Lira University, Faculty of Public Health that helped to start the study processes. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the office of the City Clerk and Environment officer before proceeding to the Divisions and Wards to commence the data collection. Informed consent An informed consent was obtained from all the participants. They were informed about their participation in the study its being voluntary and they had the right to terminate/refuse to participate on their own at any point without any consequences. The purpose of the study was explained to all participants, after which written consent was obtained from them through signing or printing of two informed consent forms. All participants were assured of confidentially of the information that would be received from them by giving each participant a code. All respondents of this study were informed of the purpose of the study, the criteria for participation in the study, procedures that were followed and any risks or benefits which would be involved during the study was explained. Community Engagement Plan Before the commencement of the data collection in the community, an introductory letter was sought from Lira city authorities and, a formal introduction of the research assistants was provided to the local councils using the letters obtained from the City Clerk prior to data collection. RESULTS Socio Demographic characteristics of Respondents Table 4 shows that majority of the respondents were aged 18 to 28 years 179 (42.5%), female 273(64.9%), and had primary level of education 147(34.9%). Most of the respondents were self-employed 173(41.1%), married 285(61.3%), and catholic 165(35.2%) (Table 4). Table 4: Socio Demographic Characteristics the Respondents (N=421) Variables Frequency (n) Percentages (%) Age 18-28 years 179 42.5 29-39 years 106 25.2 40-50 years 70 16.6 51-61 years 41 9.7 62-75 years 25 5.9 Sex Male 148 35.2 Female 273 64.9 Household Head Yes 252 59.9 No 169 40.1 Level of Education None 62 14.7 Primary 147 34.9 Secondary 116 27.6 Post-secondary/Tertiary level 96 22.8 Occupation Peasant Farmer 89 21.1 Business person/self employed 173 41.1 Professional 63 15.0 Housewife 31 7.4 Not employed 65 15.4 Religion Catholic 165 39.2 Protestant 140 33.3 Pentecostal 80 19.0 Muslim 23 5.5 Others 13 3.1 Marital Status Single 85 20.2 Divorced 44 10.5 Married 285 61.3 Widowed 24 5.7 Cohabiting 10 2.4 Practices of disposal of used polythene bags among residents of Lira city This was the outcome variable of the study and the results are as indicated in table 5. Table 5: Practices on disposal of used polythene bags (N=421) Practice Frequency Percentage 95% CI Good 200 47.5 42.7-52.3 Poor 221 52.5 47.7-57.2 Total 421 100 Table 5 shows that more than half 221(52.5%) of the respondents had poor practices of disposal of used polythene bags (Table 5). Knowledge of respondents of towards disposal of used polythene bags Majority of the respondents had good knowledge about disposal of used polythene bags 78.9% (332) (Table 6). Table 6: Knowledge of respondents of towards disposal of used polythene bags N=421 Knowledge Frequency Percentage Good 332 78.9% Poor 89 31.1 Attitudes of respondents on disposal of polythene bags Table 7 shows that majority of the respondents do not segregate waste 360(85.5%). Most of the respondents reported that polythene bags lead to drainage blockage 42.8% (180/421), destruction of the environment 96.4% (406/421), and human health problems 54.9% (231/421). Most of the respondents reported that waste segregating is not important (Table 7). Table 7: Attitudes of respondents regarding polythene bag disposal (N=421) Variable Frequency (n) Percentage (%) Segregate waste Yes 61 14.5 No 360 85.5 Important to segregate waste Easy identification, disposal and burning Yes 36 8.6 No 385 91.5 Food residue given to animals as feeds Yes 2 0.5 No 419 99.5 Avoid environmental pollution Yes 8 1.9 No 413 98.1 Reduce injuries and accidents Yes 15 3.6 No 406 96.4 Dangers of poor disposal of polythene bags Animal death Yes 93 22.1 No 328 77.9 Drainage blockage Yes 180 42.8 No 241 57.2 Destroys environment Yes 406 96.4 No 15 3.6 Human health problems Yes 231 54.9 No 190 45.1 Relationship between socio demographic variables, knowledge and attitudes with disposal practices of used polythene bags Sex and level of education showed significant relationship with practices of used polythene bags disposal at the bivariate level (P<0.2). Knowledge was not associated with practice of disposal of use polythene bags initially. However, attitude variables such as avoiding environmental pollution (p=0.05), drainage blockage (P<0.001) and Human health problems (P=0.02), reduce injuries and accidents (P= 0.13) and food residue given to animals as feeds (P=0.18) were significantly associated with practices of used polythene bag disposal (Table 8). Table 8: Results of a chi square test between socio demographic variables, knowledge attitudes and their practice towards disposal of used polythene bags n=421. Variable Practice Chi square P value Age Good Poor 18-28 years 88(49.2) 91(50.8) 3.504 0.48 29-39 years 53(50) 53(50) 40-50 years 34(48.6) 36(51.4) 51-61 years 17(41.5) 24(58.5) 62-75 years 8(32) 17(68) Sex Male 78(52.7) 70(47.3) 2.472 0.12* Female 122(44.7) 151(55.3) Household Head Yes 122(48.4) 130(51.6) 0.207 0.65 No 78(46.2) 91(53.8) Level of Education None 25(40.3) 37(59.7) 4.218 0.24* Primary 64(43.5) 83(56.5) Secondary 61(52.6) 55(47.4) Tertiary level 50(47.5) 46(47.9) Occupation 0.87 Peasant Farmer 38(42.7) 51(57.3) 1.228 self employed 85(49.1) 88(50.9) Professional 31(49.2) 32(50.8) Housewife 14(45.2) 17(54.8) Not employed 32(49.2) 33(50.8) Religion Catholic 73(44.2) 92(55.8) 1.572 0.81 Protestant 67(47.9) 73(52.1) Pentecostal 41(51.3) 39(48.8) Muslim 12(52.2) 11(47.8) Others 7(53.8) 6(46.2) Marital Status Single 37(43.5) 48(56.5) 5.254 0.26 Divorced 27(61.4) 17(38.6) Married 121(46.9) 137(53.1) Widowed 12(50) 12(50) Cohabiting 3(30) 7(70) Knowledge Good 155(46.7) 177(53.3) 0.423 0.52 Poor 45(50.6) 44(49.4) Segregate waste Yes 31(50.8) 30(49.2) 0.314 0.58 No 169(46.9) 191(53.1) Important to segregate waste Easy identification, disposal and burning Yes 20(55.6) 16(44.4) 1.023 0.31 No 180(46.8) 205(53.2) Food residue given to animals as feeds Yes 0 2(100) 1.818 0.18* No 200(47.5) 219(52.3) Avoid environmental pollution Yes 1(12.5) 7(87.5) 4.01 0.05* No 199(48.2) 214(51.8) Reduce injuries and accidents Yes 10(66.7) 5(33.3) 2.89 0.13* No 190(46.8) 216(53.2) Dangers of poor disposal of polythene bags Animal death Yes 41(44.1) 52(55.9) 0.559 0.45 No 159(48.5) 169(51.5) Drainage blockage Yes 112(62.2) 68(37.8) 27.307 <0.001* No 88(36.5) 153(63.5) Destroys environment Yes 195(48.0) 211(52.0) 1.253 0.26 No 5(33.3) 10(66.7) Human health problems Yes 122(52.8) 109(47.2) 5.783 0.02* No 78(41.1) 112(58.9) Factors associated with used polythene bag disposal practices among residents of lira city All significant variables at bivariate analysis (P=0.2) were run in a multi-variate logistic regression analysis to adjust for the effect of cofounding. Here all the significant factors under bivariate analysis were run using a backward elimination method were factors that had p- values of more than 0.05 were eliminated until only factors with p-values of less than 0.05. The developed model of factors was tested using Hosmer Lemeshow goodness of fit and gave p-value of 0.07. The following factors were considered statistically significantly associated with practices on disposal of used polythene bags:- Respondents who were older had a more than 3-fold increased odds of proper polythene bag disposal compared to those who were younger. Most of the respondents reported that improper disposal of used polythene bags lead to drainage blockage with 42.8% (180/421) where, participants who didn’t want to have drainage blockage were 3.3 times more likely to practices proper disposal of used polythene bags., destruction of the environment 96.4% (406/421), human health problems 54.9% (231/421) where, those who didn’t want health problems were 1.7 times more likely to have proper disposal practices and reduced injuries where those who didn’t want injuries were 1.2 times more likely to dispose off the used polythene bags well or to have proper disposal practices. Age was a predictor for disposal practices of used polythene bags. Participants between the age of 62 to 75 years were more likely to have proper disposal of used polythene bags (aOR=30.007, 1.074-8.417, P=0.036). Attitude variables such as drainage blockage (aOR=3.004, 2.00-4.633, P<0.001) and Human health problems (aOR=1.77, 1.156-2.734, P<0.009) were also significantly associated with disposal practices of used polythene bags (Table 9). Table 9: Factors associated with practices of disposal of used polythene bags among residents of Lira City N=421 practice COR 95% CI P value AOR 95% CI p-value Age 18-28 1.00 1.00 29-39 0.967 0.598-1.563 0.89 0.846 0.514-1.392 0.511 40-50 1.024 0.589-1.779 0.93 1.232 0.675-2.247 0.496 51-61 1.365 0.687-2.715 0.37 1.836 0.881-3.828 0.105 62-75 2.05 0.844-5.004 0.13 3.007 1.074-8.417 0.036* Sex Male 1.00 1.00 Female 1.379 0.923-2.060 0.12 1.278 0.827-1.976 0.269 Reduce injuries Yes 1.00 1.00 No 2.273 0.764-6.769 0.14 1.271 0.389-4.156 0.692 Drainage blockage Yes 1.00 1.00 No 2.864 1.921-4.269 <0.001 3.044 2.00-4.633 <0.001* Human health problems Yes 1.607 1.090-2.368 0.02 1.00 No 1.777 1.156-2.734 0.009* Notes: * Significant variable at p <0.05 Qualitative analysis Qualitative interviews were conducted on knowledge with responsible officers on general solid waste management, awareness of the legal infrastructure and instruments for the management of solid wastes, challenges faced on general solid waste management and efforts being undertaken to address the challenges. The interviewees were the officers responsible for the implementation and decision making on solid waste management in the city with 1 female and 5 males who participated in the interviews. Knowledge of offices/persons responsible for solid waste management The study inquired about the offices responsible for the management of solid waste within the city, from the responses, the respondents had good knowledge of the departments responsible for handling solid waste. The respondents reported that the city environment office and the health office under the city council were responsible. This was elaborated by one of the participants who had the following to say: “The management of solid waste is the responsibility of council and the accounting officer has mandated two departments to be responsible for solid waste management and these are the Health Department and the Environment department. These don’t work independently but they interact with other departments like the finance and other departments. This aspect of solid waste management is not centrally managed but it’s managed at respective divisions. The two divisions have a fully-fledged system responsible for running solid waste management from collection to disposal” – KI-4 Similarly, another participant said; “Solid waste management is a collective responsibility that does not sit in only one office. The offices responsible are line offices like the health department which include health inspectors at the divisions, where we have health inspectors directly responsible for the day to day management of solid waste. There is also environment office, under natural resources, responsible for coordination and supervision at a higher level, to ensure that the pollution from the waste is reduced. They all report to the town clerk from their various places – KI-5 Management of solid waste According to the respondents’ views on the management of solid waste, a number of themes emerged during the analysis which include; waste collection, transportation, and disposal. Another theme that emerged was the role of VHTs and local leaders in waste management. Waste collection During analysis, two sub-sub-themes emerged from the sub-theme of waste collection which includes; household level and community level. Household-level It was reported by the respondents that households especially those in peri-urban and satellite communities collect their waste in sacks, waste bins, bags, and other storage materials as they wait for the waste collectors to pick the wastes for disposal or take the waste to collection points. One of the participants had this to say; “At the household level, the community members are encouraged to collect their wastes either in sacks, bags, and other storage materials and then advised to take them to the specific collection points” – KI-3 Community level It emerged from the respondents’ views that there are garbage gangs who have been employed in central business areas to sweep and collect refuse on the streets. These people do this work from Monday to Saturday and they only rest on Sunday and they are paid monthly. This was elaborated by one of the participants who said; “The aspect of solid waste management in the central business area is different from management at the periphery of the peri-urban areas. In the central business area, there are staffs employed by the division to do the daily sweeping of the city – KI-4 Similarly, another respondent said; “………….they have employed a garbage management team at the urban setting and they are referred to as the garbage gang who do sweeping of the streets, daily except for Sunday……….. the garbage gangs on a monthly-basis earn a salary/wage of about 100,000 shillings” Transportation From the views of the respondents, three sub-themes emerged from the sub-theme of transportation of waste and they include; waste generators/ private entities, the city council. Waste generators and private individuals/ companies. It was reported that waste is transported by the generators to the central waste collection points like skits from their households. Sometimes or in some areas waste is picked by private individuals/ companies from households to the collection points or disposal sites and they are paid by the waste generators on an agreed amount of money between the two parties. One of the participants had the below to say. “When generated, we ensure that the generators collect their wastes in bags, trash cans, skits or sacs and place them in specific locations so that they are transported to disposal sites” – KI-5 Similarly, another participant had the below to say. “The individuals are encouraged to pay for their waste disposal services to reduce waste on the City Council. They are sensitized to keep their wastes in sacs as the private companies and individuals come to collect them. Others pay monthly and others pay weekly depending on their agreements” - KI-1 City council It emerged from participants’ views that waste generated is transported to the disposal site by the city council. The council has tricycles and trucks responsible for collecting waste. The tricycles move from door-to-door collecting waste generated from households and taking it to collection points where it is loaded on trucks and taken to disposal sites. One participant explained it as below. “Transportation is done in two ways, either using a tricycle or using the two garbage trucks recently acquired. The tricycles have operators and then for the trucks, there are service providers who help in loading, then transported to Aler compost plant where they are disposed of” – KI-5 Similarly, another participant narrated; “In the central business area, there are staffs employed by the division to do the daily sweeping of the city. They collect wastes in different spots they load them in trucks. At the peri-urban areas like Kakoge as you move out of town, we have different days when trucks are sent to the communities and they collect wastes” – KI-5 In addition, another participant had the following to say; “………… the community members are informed to transport their garbage to specific points where the trucks have been stationed. There is also a tricycle that helps in the door-to-door collection of wastes – KI-1 Disposal On the disposal of solid waste in the city, two sub-themes emerged and they include; rubbish pits, and landfill/wind rose. Rubbish pits Participants reported that some waste generators especially those living in rural areas dispose of their waste generated in the rubbish pit and this is at the household level. One of the participants had the following to say according to KI- 4 “………………in the rural areas, we use rubbish pits, each home is encouraged to have their own rubbish pit where they dispose their waste generated. We also encourage them to burn non-biodegradable wastes like used polythene bags and used plastic bottles. ” – KI-4 Landfill/ wind rose It was also reported that waste collected is disposed of in the landfill or wind rose according to its nature. Non-biodegradable is directly disposed of in the landfill and biodegradable is disposed of in the wind rose to make compost manure. This was explained by one participant who had the below to say: “…………..wastes are transported to Aler compost plant where they are disposed of. Non-biodegradable ones are disposed of directly to open landfills and biodegradable ones are put in the wind rose to support processing manure. In Aler, there are people responsible for sorting and processing manure manually” – KI-5 Quantity of waste collected The study inquired about the estimate of the quantity of solid waste collected in the city. Some participants did not have any estimate whereas others estimated in terms of tons and trips taken to the waste plant per day. Some participants had the below to say. “The number of tones of solid wastes collected daily or monthly could possibly be got from the compost plant since I don’t have it off head” – KI-5 “On a daily basis, about 10 tons of solid waste is collected from City West, which is about 240 – 300 tons of solid waste collected in a month” – KI-1 In addition, another participant explained as below. “………………….This depends on the days of the week but it is on Monday that we have the highest number of trips which are about 4 trips. The other subsequent days we take about 2 or 3 trips depending on the level of generation. The highest quantity is taken on Monday because Sunday is skipped; waste is not transported on Sunday” – KI-3 Private entities in solid waste management From the views of the study participants, three sub-themes emerged from the theme of private entities involved in solid waste management. These sub-themes include; none, individuals, and companies, and they are elaborated below. None It emerged from the responses of the participants that there was no private entity involved in solid waste management at the moment of data collection in City East. Though it was reported that private companies had been there before. One of the participants had the below to say. “Apparently there is no private company participating in solid waste management within City East but at some point, some two private companies contracted to do garbage collection within the city. These were only collected from only the business centers and institutions. The private companies were contracted to do garbage collection from the business center and institutions but some individuals would pay them to collect their garbage” – KI-3 Individuals Participants reported that there are some individuals within the city who engage in solid waste management, there are those individuals who are employed to sweep and collect garbage in the city and others who move door to door to collect garbage and are paid by the waste generators themselves. One of the participants had the below to say. “The individuals are encouraged to pay for their waste disposal services to reduce waste on the City Council. They are sensitized to keep their wastes in sacs as the private companies and individuals come to collect them. Others pay monthly and others pay weekly depending on their agreements” – KI-3 Another participant further explained as below, Apparently, some private individuals have been contracted to collect waste within the city west and these are called cleaners or garbage gangs. Within the City west, they are 25 in number and their role is to wake up in the morning and ensure that they embark on garbage collection and management, and they are paid on monthly basis a wage of about 150,000/= per month. Meanwhile, some private truck owners have been contracted to pick garbage from the households to be taken to the collection points where the city council trucks can pick them up to take to the final disposal point (Aler)” – KI-2 Companies It emerged from the respondents’ views that there are some private companies that are involved in solid waste management within Lira City. These companies are contracted by the city council. One of the participants had the below to say. “There is apparently one company called Alliance solution that is in partnership with the City Council to collect garbage though they are not so common on the ground” – KI-1 Similarly, another participant elaborated as below; The garbage collection is basically done by private companies who make agreements based on affordability, needs, and capacity with the industries and individuals who generate waste. They have a database and from time to time they move to those collection points s and they are paid for based on agreements. The private companies include Alliance Water Solution, Lira city cleaners, and half watch – KI-5 Awareness of legal instruments for the management of solid waste The study inquired about the knowledge of the respondents on the legal instruments used in the management of solid waste. It was found that all the respondents were aware of the instruments. Some of those mentioned include; the Public Health Act, the constitution of Uganda, the NEMA act, the Health and Safety Act, the City Ordinance, the environment act, and the physical planning act. One of the participants explained as below. “Definitely there are legal instruments governing solid waste management. Firstly, the legal mandate is drawn from the constitution of Uganda, then there is the NEMA act, the Health and Safely Act, and also the Council by- law and there is also an ordinance in place, a city ordinance equivalent to the district ” – KI-3 Similarly, another participant had the below to say. “We have the national environment act, a section which provides for issues of waste management, collection and transportation. Standards for waste management in urban areas, there is also the physical planning act as amended in 2020 and the public health act” – KI-2 Challenges faced in solid waste management The study inquired about the challenges faced in the management of solid waste in the city and several sub-themes emerged from the respondents’ views. The sub-themes that emerged include; ignorance of community members, negligence of communities, political, financial, and low partnerships. Sub-sub-themes also emerged from some of the sub-themes. Ignorance Participants reported that there are knowledge gaps about solid waste management among the community members. This is greatly contributing to the poor solid waste management practices among the people. It was reported that people do not know what to do in terms of proper handling of different kinds of waste generated. One of the participants had the below to say. “Thirdly, there is the knowledge gap in managing waste especially used polythene bags which has become a major challenge here in the city. For example people those in the peri urban areas of the city do not know what waste management means and its even worst with used polythene bags, and also people’s knowledge of waste management needs to be increased ” – KI-1 Similarly, another participant reported that; “There is crude dumping, people just throw waste anywhere without segregating them, and they do not have where to put the waste. Another challenge is that polythene is the most widely used material for carrying goods but people don’t have knowledge on how to manage the used polythene bags and they don’t even know its effect on the environment” – KI-3 Negligence It emerged from the participants that some community members are negligible, they do not want to do the right practices in relation to the management of the waste they generate. And this is also one of the major factors affecting solid waste management in Lira City. This was elaborated by one of the participants who explained below. “Negligence of the community members. Much as they know what to do regarding waste management, they are relaxed and they do not take garbage management as a serious issue. People just litter their compound without caring about the implications it is evident with the used polythene bags they dispose” – KI-3 In addition, another participant had the following to say; “The mindset of the people towards waste management is also a challenge that needs to be changed” – KI-2 Political challenges; It emerged from participants as they pointed out that some of the challenges facing solid waste management were political and two sub-sub-themes emerged from this sub-theme. The sub-sub-themes that emerged include; enforcement of laws, and physical planning. Enforcement of laws It was reported that there is no enforcement of laws and policies in regard to solid waste management. Some laws are in place but they have not yet been legalized which has greatly affected the management of solid waste among the generators. One of the participants had the below to say. “Political interference is also another problem much as the laws are in place; they are not yet legalized, so there is not much to be done without legal functional laws” – KI-1 Physical planning It was pointed out by the participants that physical planning has not been done well, especially on allocation of the sites for disposal of wastes. Some areas do not have sites for waste collection or disposal. One of the participants reported as below. “Another challenge is from the perspective of the physical planning of Lira City. There are no gazetted places for dumping some of the wastes. There are no legal sites for waste dumping” – KI-3 Financial It emerged that there are challenges that are in line with finance according to the views of the participants. Three sub-sub-themes emerged from this sub-theme and they include; budget, transportation, and delayed payment of the garbage gang. Budget It emerged that the budget for waste management is not clear. This greatly affects the implementation of activities of solid waste management. This was elaborated by one of the participants who had the below to say. “Allocation in terms of the budget is not clear i.e. waste management does not have a clear budget line. As in the local government act in urban settings waste is supposed to be managed by the divisions so it does not have clear cuts or budget lines, so it’s upon the divisions to always allocate money from the property rates for waste management but they are asking the ministry of finance planning and economic development to always make clear budget lines and allocation funds for especially waste management” – KI-5 Transport From the views of the participants, it was found that there were challenges related to transport. These issues include; insufficient fuel, tricycles, bikes, vehicles (trucks and cars), transportation of waste, and even staff members, especially those responsible for the supervision of different activities. One of the participants explained as below. “ There is only one truck for city west so far and even the driver is just volunteering, it is the division to arrange for his payment. Transport for supervision by the health inspector is another challenge, no bike, no vehicle which makes work difficult. Fuel for the trucks is also another challenge, the payments for fuel are delayed and this delays the whole process of solid waste management” – KI-4 Delayed payment of garbage gang It emerged from the participants that there is the delayed payment of the garbage gang which demoralizes them in their work. This has a great effect on the work of these people, when they are not paid sometimes they strike and don’t work which means that the city will not be cleaned for days. This was elaborated by one of the respondents who had the below to say. “Another challenge is the delayed payment of the garbage gang which demoralizes them. Sometimes the gang is not paid for long and yet they have demands to meet. Others decide to go for other work which means the areas that they usually clean are left filthy. And at times these gangs strike until they are given their payment in order to resume their work. – KI-5 Efforts from authorities aimed at combating the challenges The study inquired about the efforts in place by the responsible authorities in order to solve the challenges that are faced in the management of solid waste in the city. Three sub-themes emerged from this theme and they include; sensitizations, provision of facilities for waste management, and advocacies. Sensitizations It emerged from the participants’ responses that there are sensitizations among the people to ensure that there are good practices in regard to solid waste management. These sensitizations are made through different avenues like meetings, workshops, and sanitation campaigns, door-to-door visits by VHTs and LCIs among others. This is a strategy that is aimed at equipping people with knowledge about solid waste management to change people’s behavior and improve their practices. One of the participants had the below to say. Ignorance of the community is being handled through sensitization at lower levels through the use of LCIs, and VHTs and some churches also do sensitization. Workshops and meetings are being held in order for communities to learn that waste should be sorted. Campaigns like sanitation week, keep city west clean, and mayors’ day is held to clean the town. – KI-1 In addition, another participant reported that; “Sensitization of communities on a regular basis will also enable community members to change their mindsets towards garbage management by embracing positive attitudes towards garbage management ” – KI-2 Provision of facilities It emerged from the participants that there has been the provision of facilities to facilitate in management of solid wastes in the city. Some of the facilities provided are waste skits, trucks, and tricycles among others. It was also reported that there are plans of acquiring land to construct two landfills one in each division of the city. This was elaborated by one of the participants who had the below to say. “Trucks (2) have been availed under USMID one for City East and one for City West to ease transportation of wastes. In addition, City East also has two tricycles to collect wastes from areas that are inaccessible to the garbage truck” – KI-3 Similarly, another participant said as below. “More trucks will also be added to the two divisions once the budget allocation is improved and is in effect. There is also a plan to acquire land for the two divisions to construct a landfill in each” – KI-5 Advocacy It was found out from the views of the participants that advocacy is one of the ways used to curb some of the challenges faced in solid waste management in Lira City. The advocacies are about the budget for solid waste management, private entities to engage in solid waste management, and recruitment of more human resources. This was explained by one of the participants as below. “There is advocacy done on the increment of funding so that much is allocated towards waste management in order to increase the scope of operation on garbage management. They are also seeking partnerships, public-private partnerships with capable, competent companies with resources that can join hands with us in order to help in areas of waste management” – KI-2 Similarly, another participant narrated; “More human resources are being recruited, environmental officers in both divisions the number of health inspectors will also increase to ensure that the coordination and supervision become easy” – KI-5 DISCUSSION Socio demographics characteristics of the respondents of Lira city The study results shows that majority of the respondents were aged 18 to 28 years 179 (42.5%), female 273(64.9%), and had primary level of education 147(34.9%). Most of the respondents were self-employed 173(41.1%), married 285(61.3%), and catholic 165(35.2%). The findings is in line with the findings from another study, which shows that women buy basic consumer goods such as food, health items, clothing and household products more often than men. Men more often buy expensive goods like cars and electronic equipment. The results of this current study is also in line with a study conducted in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties, Kenya which indicate that irrespective of peoples’ gender, age, education, or occupation, majority of the population frequently used plastic bags in their daily operations but does not dispose them properly [3]. Practices of the residents on disposal of used polythene bags in Lira city Findings from this study regarding practices reports poor polythene bags disposal with 52.5% that most of the respondents said there were no waste collection points with 85.8% (361/421) and 85.8% (361/421) says that no private companies do waste collection in the areas of residence, and of the 60 respondents who reported that companies collect wastes, most of them 37 reported door-to-door collections. On storage of wastes, only 16.4% (69/421) use bags, 15.4% (65/421) use dustbins, 59.4% (250/421) on the ground, and 6.7% (28/421) in baskets or cut jerrycans. This findings are in line with a study conducted by shahzahi et al regarding practices of waste disposal indicates that more than 50 percent of respondents had poor practices towards waste disposal. In spite having good knowledge regarding waste disposal, there is blaming on lack of awareness and unavailability of public dustbins [11]. Additionally, in a another study conducted in India on observation of practices regarding waste disposal shows that 27% of the people practice open waste dumping claiming lack of resources besides adequate knowledge on waste disposal [11]. Another study conducted in the Philippine reveals lower levels of practices on solid waste management among students, besides the high levels of knowledge and attitude above 50 percent [6]. According to one of the key informants, at the household level, the community members are encouraged to collect their wastes either in sacks, bags, and other storage materials and then advised to take them to the specific collection points contrary to the study findings which reports that 85.5%of the residents/respondents do not have waste collection points in their areas of residence. Additionally, according to one of the key informants for the qualitative findings says “There is apparently one company called Alliance solution that is in partnership with the City Council to collect garbage though they are not so common on the ground” and the statement also agrees with the findings from the quantitative results stated above of 85.8% (361/421) says that no private companies do waste collection in the areas of residence. However, this section of discussion also comprises of significant results from the multivariate analysis. The significant factors at multivariate level include age, Sex of respondents, and attitudes of the respondents. Out of the 421 fully filled questionnaires, 78.9% of the respondents had good knowledge of used polythene bag disposal. Similarly, a study by [1] reported that 80% of the households had good knowledge on general waste management. In a study conducted in Lahare reported that knowledge has significant effects on the general waste management of the people. From the interviews conducted with respondents, they reported household campaigns on general waste management were they are encouraged to use locally available materials like used buckets and sacks for waste collection. This probably explains the good knowledge level on waste management. Knowledge of the residents on disposal of used polythene Bags in Lira city According to the study's findings, 421 of the sample's 422 respondents (99.8%) gave the surveys their complete attention. Knowledge was not found to be significant while the residents' level of knowledge regarding the disposal of used polythene bags was assessed using a composite variable based on nine questions about such knowledge across households, and it was divided into two categories: excellent and bad knowledge regarding such disposal. This study findings shows that majority of the respondents 78.9% (332 out of 421) had good knowledge of proper disposal of used polythene bags. This study findings agree with those of a study conducted in South Africa which reported that 80% of community people had the knowledge about household waste disposal and were aware about adverse effects of improper waste disposal, and most community members in the same study 83% knew that production of waste can harm the environment and most of the respondents 40% were disposed of food category and used the burial method for disposed of waste [1]. More over 50% of participants in a different survey carried out in Kenya were said to be knowledgeable about the effects that incorrect disposal of discarded polythene bags would have on their pets all this is in line with the findings from this study. Additionally, another study conducted in Nigeria reveals that, good knowledge was found to be associated with educational status. Educational status is dependent on correct knowledge of solid waste (χ2=5.559, p<0.05), while there is a statistically significant association between their educational status and their knowledge of hazards on improper waste management (χ2=3.719, p<0.05) [2] all these are in agreement with findings of this study. Attitude of the residents on disposal of used polythene bags Meanwhile on the attitude, the findings from this study shows that majority of the respondents do not segregate waste with 360/421 (85.5%). Most of the respondents reported that improper disposal of used polythene bags lead to drainage blockage with 42.8% (180/421) where, participants who didn’t want to have drainage blockage were 3.3 times more likely to practices proper disposal of used polythene bags., destruction of the environment 96.4% (406/421), human health problems 54.9% (231/421) where, those who didn’t want health problems were 1.7 times more likely to have proper disposal practices and reduced injuries where those who didn’t want injuries were 1.2 times more likely to dispose off the used polythene bags well or to have proper disposal practices. Findings from this study are in line with those of a study conducted in Pakistan which reported that the increasing burden of infection and diseases where 52% of the people said it was as a result of poor household waste disposal practices which has led to contamination of the environment and plastic waste generation was very much lower than all other types of waste and 41% of the participants had satisfactory waste disposal practices [3]. Additionally another study conducted in the Philippine reveals lower levels of practice on solid waste management among students besides the high levels of knowledge and attitude above 50 percent [6]. Factors associated with used polythene bag disposal among residents in Lira City Results of this study indicate that respondents who were older had a more than 3-fold increased odds of proper disposal of used polythene bags compared to those who were younger. This current finding is in line with findings of a study that revealed that, age was an independent factor in predicting respondent’s tendency for taking part in solid waste source separation including used polythene bags, where those aged more than 45 years had an increased likelihood and positive attitudes towards the development of source reduction compared to their younger counterparts. Contrary to this result, a study conducted in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties, Kenya indicate that people irrespective of their gender, age, education, or occupation frequently sued used plastic bags in their daily operations but do not dispose them properly Regardless of the results, the findings of the present study can be based on the fact that older individuals have had more sensitizations on waste management, thus tend to do the right things based on experience. The results indicate that attitude variables such as improper disposal of used polythene bags resulting into health problems and blocking drainage channels had significant associations with practices of plastic bags disposal in that, respondents’ who did not view polythene bags as a danger to the environment in terms of blocking drainage channels were up to 3 times less likely to dispose of the bags properly (P<0.001) compared to their counter parts. Additionally, those who did not perceive that improper disposal of polythene bags could result in health problems were 1.8 times less like to practice proper disposal methods (P<0.009). CONCLUSISON AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusion The findings indicate that more women participated in the study than the men with primary education as the most common level of education attained by the respondents. The study also reports that concerning the waste management practices of the respondents, residents who were older were more likely to have better polythene bags disposal practices compared to the young. The findings indicate that the females were more likely to have proper polythene bags disposal practices than the males, even when knowledge of disposal was generally good. The study reports poor attitude by the residents of the city towards used polythene bags disposal practices as the final analysis results indicated residents’ inability to acknowledge that polythene bags improper disposal is a threat to human health and the environment. Recommendations There is need to plan for awareness creation sessions and implementation should be done on general waste management with emphasis on disposal of used polythene bags. There is need to procure more garbage collection trucks to support waste collection. Also, there is need to involve more men to do frequent waste collection and disposal effectively. Continuous advocacy for increase in funding specifically for general solid waste management. Abbreviations UBOS Uganda Bureau of Statistics DHS Demographic Household Surveys DHO District Health Officer USMID Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Program PPW Plastic Polythene Waste GOU Government of Uganda SWM Solid Waste Management NEMA National Environment Management Authority NDP National Development Plan KCCA Kampala Capital City Authority UN-OCHA United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences GHG Green House Gases Declarations Data availability Data is available on request. Funding Information The study did not receive funding from any source. Ethics approval and consent to participate The protocol was presented to the faculty of public health; at Lira University for coherence, and ethical approval was sought from the Uganda National council for science and technology through the Gulu University Research and Ethics committee (GUREC-2021-119). An introduction letter was obtained from Lira University, Faculty of Public Health that helped to start the study processes. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the office of the City Clerk and Environment officer before proceeding to the Divisions and Wards to commence the data collection. Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests All the authors declared that they have no competing interests. Data Availability The data set and questionnaires used during this study are available on request on an email [email protected] Funding This research didn’t receive any funding from any source. 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Ssemugabo C, Wafula ST, Lubega GB, Ndejjo R, Osuret J, Halage AA, Musoke D. (2020). Status of Household Solid Waste Management and Associated Factors in a Slum Community in Kampala, Uganda . 2020 . Stephen H, Mlc D. (2017). Message from the Minister Implementing a lightweight single-use plastic bag ban in Western Australia . . The Local Governments Act. (2000). The Local Governments (Kampala City Council) (Solid Waste Management) Ordinance . http://www.kcca.go.ug/uploads/acts/Solid waste ordinance.pdf . Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4757110","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":329053108,"identity":"838930b6-14d4-458c-8dd7-15d12a19405b","order_by":0,"name":"Cecilia Adyero","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Lira University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Cecilia","middleName":"","lastName":"Adyero","suffix":""},{"id":329053109,"identity":"f7558251-393d-453d-80a3-669c4e3d16d0","order_by":1,"name":"Sam Orech","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA30lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBCDBH725gNAWkKGeC2SPccSQFp4iNdiMCPHAMQgrEW+/XTi44oKuzwDhpzPr27UWPAwsB8+ugGfFoMzuZsNz5xJLjZnOLvNOucY0GE8aWk38GphyN0m2dh2IHFnY+824xw2oBYJHjO8WuT73wK1/DuQuOEwzzPjnH9EaGG4AbKlAajlGA/z49w2IrQY3Hi72bDhWHLizB42M+bcPgkeNkJ+ke/P3fiwocYusV/+8ePPOd/q5PjZDx/D7zAkwCYBJolVDgLMH0hRPQpGwSgYBSMHAABgjkwQdcdCwAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Busitema University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sam","middleName":"","lastName":"Orech","suffix":""},{"id":329053112,"identity":"cf0fd775-7941-4dbc-ac47-ff2cb2f032ac","order_by":2,"name":"Irene Auma","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Uganda Red Cross Society","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Irene","middleName":"","lastName":"Auma","suffix":""},{"id":329053114,"identity":"105bfa74-8d15-4de1-a47b-71083b0f8981","order_by":3,"name":"Charles Okolimong","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Busitema University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Charles","middleName":"","lastName":"Okolimong","suffix":""},{"id":329053115,"identity":"efb26e5d-087a-4402-be8e-90f47665c8f9","order_by":4,"name":"Anne Ruth Akello","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Lira University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Anne","middleName":"Ruth","lastName":"Akello","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-07-17 15:01:32","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4757110/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4757110/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":63366617,"identity":"14de0fa1-6a52-4924-9be9-6eb91d8c1b7c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-27 11:22:51","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1872803,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4757110/v1/5227bf8c-a01e-4d08-802f-feb393a0b6d4.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eDisposal of Polythene Bags Among Residents of Lira City, Northern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"INTRODUCTION","content":"\u003cp\u003eGlobally, solid waste generation is increasing, with polythene bags leading the way. In Sub-Saharan Africa, plastic waste generation is influenced by a variety of factors, including urbanization [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]. As of the year 2019, the population of sub-Saharan Africa was estimated to be approximately 1\u0026nbsp;billion and the amount of generated waste was 180\u0026nbsp;million tonnes at the rate of 0.5% per capita per day and 70% was openly dumped with 17\u0026nbsp;million tonnes of the plastic waste generated annually according to Olusola et al 2019.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Africa more than 15 countries are taking the plastic bag problem very seriously by either imposing a ban or charging huge taxes on them, and some of these countries include Kenya, Mali, Cameroon, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia and the efficacy of the bans and taxes are hard to nail down and concretize because there is still a black market for plastic bags and people still use them illegally [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]. The used polythene bags waste from urban cites contributes to the world\u0026rsquo;s 1.3\u0026nbsp;billion tons of waste generated annually which is expected to increase to 2.2\u0026nbsp;billion tons by 2025 [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Uganda, like in many other developing countries, typically one to two thirds of the solid waste generated is not collected [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]. More than 53% of Uganda\u0026rsquo;s solid waste is generated in urban centers from households [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e]. As a result, the uncollected solid waste, including the polythene bags end up in rivers, tunnels and other water ways causing blockage. The poor disposal of polythene bags contributes to flooding, breeding of insects and rodent vectors with over two million birds and animals dying every year due to eating of polythene bags or as a result of chocking.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe government of Uganda has developed a number of legal and institutional frameworks to address the challenge of solid waste management across urban towns and cities; including the Public Health Act, the constitution of the Republic of Uganda 1995 Article 245 (a) that provides measures intended-to protect and preserve the environment from abuse, pollution and degradation,\u0026rdquo; The National Environment (Waste Management) Regulations, S.I. No 52/1999; The Local Government Act 1997, solid waste management ordinances [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. All those legal frameworks have provisions of how wastes should be properly managed to protect and manage the environment, with an aim of conserving and preserving the environment.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdditionally, Uganda has also attempted to ban plastic bags usage but implementation has been spotty because of lobbying by manufacturers, disagreement among politicians and a lack of public awareness about the need to rigorously implement and adhere to the ban. In April 2015, despite numerous callous demonstrations from members of private sector, including court battles, the Ministry of Water and Environment under National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) put into action the ban on importation, manufacture and use of polythene bags of gauge below 30 microns. The implementation however has not been a rosy one as it affected businesses and other government agencies including the cabinet which fought the ban calling for its suspension; leaving the public in a state of indecision and others continue to use the banned substance despite threats of legal action from NEMA. Countries like Australia as a whole don't have a ban on plastic bags; however, several states and territories have begun to put bans in place, including the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Tasmania and this approach can be adopted by Lira city authorities [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition to solving the problem, in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has made an effort to provide street dustbins, do garbage collection in a more frequent manner in places where plastic litter can prevent the flow of waste water. According to Jean Marie Takouleu 2021, Coca cola has also signed a Memorandum of understanding with Care and Assistance for Forced Migrants (CAFOMI) to encourage recycling and increase on what people earn from collecting plastic waste from \u003cspan\u003e$\u003c/span\u003e0.05 per kilogram to \u003cspan\u003e$\u003c/span\u003e0.13. According to the Nile Post 2019, in another attempt to reduce the problem of the polythene bags litter, an entrepreneur called Aweko Faith has come up with an innovative way to transform discarded plastic bags into backpacks for everyday use in her organization named transform Africa based in Mpigi Uganda.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLira city is one of the newly created cities in the country with an increasing population growth rate estimated to increase to 596,900 people from the current 478,500 people by 2030, and the population density is highest around the urban and peri urban areas within lira according the district National Development Plan (NDP) III 2021.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLiterature shows that indiscriminate disposal of used polythene bags is associated with poor knowledge, attitude and practices, especially at household level. A study in Kenya showed that more than 50 per cent of household dwellers with sheep and goats lacked knowledge on the danger of plastic bags on their animals [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]. Relatedly, lack of cost- effective disposal alternative methods and weak enforcement of existing laws on waste disposal, in the presence of limited knowledge and attitude constrained Costal cities in Sir Lanka to effectively dispose plastic polythene waste [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs a result of indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes, including polythene bags, especially in urban towns and cities [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e], drainage channels are blocked resulting in flooding, while water logging caused by used polythene bags act as breeding cites for insects and rodent vectors. This causes increase in the prevalence of diseases such as malaria and diarrhoeal diseases, in addition to risking the lives of animal with 60% dying as a result of consumption [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. According to the City Environment officer, annually approximately 22,000 tonnes of solid waste are generated, 23.4% plastic waste in Lira and approximately 17,000 tonnes disposed of, and the rest remains uncollected and currently there no documented literature on disposed used polythene waste for the city. This study therefore investigated the knowledge, attitude and practices on used polythene bags disposal among residents in Lira city because there is limited information/ data on the used polyethene bags among the city residents.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"METHODOLOGY","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eStudy Design\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eA cross-sectional study survey was employed. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and the core data of the study was formed by the personal insights of the study participants. A mixed methods approach was allowed for statistical inferences made through quantitative methods and was reinforced by qualitative methods to offer interpretive descriptive accounts of the study participants.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eStudy Area\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe study was carried out in Lira city which has 2 divisions Lira City East and Lira City West. The city has 7 Wards where Lira City East has Railways, Adekokwok, Ngetta, Central and Lira City West division has Adyel, Ojwina and Lira wards, and the study was conducted in four wards within the two divisions which are Adyel, Lira, Central, and Adekokwok. Lira City is located in the Lango sub-region in northern Uganda. Physically the district lies between latitudes 10 21\u0026rsquo; and 20 42\u0026rsquo; north of the Equator and longitudes 20 53\u0026rsquo; and 30 37\u0026rsquo; east of Greenwich. The city is bordered by the districts of Lira in the north with Agago also in the north, Otuke in the northeast, Alebtong in the east, Dokolo in the south, Kwania in the southwest, Kole in the west, Oyam and Gulu in the northwest. The district covers approximately a total area 1,326 km2 of which 1286.22 km2 is land area. The other 39.78 square kilometers constitute forest reserves, wetlands and geomorphic landforms. The city is 368kms from Kampala City in the central part of Uganda. Subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry and commercial fishing from area lakes constitute the economic engine of the district.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCrops grown include: Cotton, Cassava, Sunflower, Soybeans, Oranges, Bananas, Simsim, Rice, Maize, Beans, Millet and Sweet potatoes. Livestock raised in the city includes: cattle, goats, chicken and turkeys.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eStudy Population\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThis study was carried out among residents that resided in the four wards in Lira city. According to UBOS it\u0026rsquo;s estimated that the population of Lira city by 2021 would be 249,900 people.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eEligibility Criteria\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eInclusion criteria\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAll residents above 18 years of age with a sound mind staying in households (HHs) for at least 6 months within the selected ward participated in the study.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eExclusion criteria\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAll residents above 18 years of age, who were severely ill to respond to the interviews and health workers, were excluded from the study.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eDetermining the sample Size\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe sample size was determined using the Kish Leslie (1965) formula for the calculation of sample size. Calculated from the formula;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en=\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:\\frac{{z}^{2}PQ}{{d}^{2}}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWhere;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Estimated sample size,\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ez\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;is the standard deviation corresponding to 95% and confidence interval usually 1.96,\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ep\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;is the prevalence of people with knowledge, attitude and practices on disposal of used polythene bags, (Since there is limited information on a related study done, 50% was assumed for maximum variation)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eq\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1-p, d\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.05 is the acceptable margin of error at 95% confidence interval. n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.96*1.96*0.5*0.5/0.05*0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e=\u0026thinsp;3.841*0.25/0.0025\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section4\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e=\u0026thinsp;0.96025/0.0025\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e=\u0026thinsp;384 participants\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTherefore, when a 10% non-response rate is considered and the sample size was 422 participants for this study.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eSampling Procedure\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eProbability sampling methods were used, focusing two clusters at the city divisions that are East and West, a list of all the 7 wards were generated and a simple random sampling by ballot technique with replacement was used to select 50% of the wards. Where two (2) wards were picked from each division. From the 4 wards, lists of all the parishes in each ward were then generated and using simple random sampling, two (2) parishes in each ward were selected. At the parish, lists of all the villages/cells were also generated and simple random sampling by ballot technique was then used to select two (2) villages/cells from each parish. At the village/cell level, sampling proportionate to size and systematic sampling was employed using a table of random numbers of households using an interval of five (5) from the Village register to obtain respondents to take part in the study (Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSampling procedure to obtain the respondents\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDivisions\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWards\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eParishes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eVillages /Cells\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRespondents\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEast and\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWest\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSimple random\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003esampling by\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBallot technique\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSimple random\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSampling\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSimple random\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003esampling by\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBallot technique\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSystematic\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSampling using\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRandom number\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTable\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4 wards\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAdyel\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2 Parishes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2 villages/cells\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e106\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRailways\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2 Parishes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2 villages/cells\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e105\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCentral\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2 Parishes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2 villages/cells\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e106\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLira\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2 Parishes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2 villages/cells\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e105\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTotal\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4 selected Wards\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e8 selected Parishes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e8 selected villages/cells\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e422 respondents\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePurposive sampling was used to identify the participants for the key informant interviews where a list of all the descion makers from both city east and west were listed down from top to bottom and this guided the researcher to ask specific questions in line with the research objectives and 08 key implementers and decision makers in the city were interviewed (Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eParticipants for KII\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTitle\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCity East\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCity West\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTown Clerks\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCity Environment Officer\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCity Principal Health Inspector\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCity Health Inspector\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrincipal Medical Officer\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eData collection Procedures\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eData was obtained from the primary source. The primary data was collected using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative data collection was done using interviewer administered questionnaires with full observation of the covid-19 SOPs. After the ethical approval, the student got an introductory letter from the university and later sought for permission from the different relevant offices including the office of the city clerk, local council one to conduct the study before the data collection process commenced. All the responses were directly entered into the electronic questionnaire opened through the Kobo collect android application that was installed in all the smart phones that were used for data collection.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eKey informant interviews were conducted with all the identified relevant city authorities and divisions and these include the town clerks for the two divisions of Lira City East and Lira City West since they are responsible for the entire management of City, the City Environment Officer currently responsible for the general solid management in the city, the City Principal Health Inspector is in charge of the overall sanitation issues including solid waste management directly supervises the Ward Health inspectors. The ward health inspectors directly supervise the solid waste management in the entire ward in a given division. The Principal Medical Officer is responsible for the general public health management for the city. The interview guide was used as guide for the informant interviews which were conducted face to face and was recorded as audio using a smart phone that was later transcribed for systematic analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eData for this study was collected by research assistants who were selected and trained on the data collection tools, the questionnaires were tested where the study would not be conducted, and adjustments were done accordingly. The principal investigator supported with the research assistants with conducting the key informant interviews.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eData Collection Tools\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe following were the data collection tools used to collect the quantitative and qualitative data. They include the following;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eStructured Questionnaire\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe questionnaire was used to support the collection of quantitative data during interviews with the participants. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by trained field staff who administered the structured questionnaires. The questionnaire had four main sections for data collection, information on: (1) household and demographic characteristics; (2) Knowledge on disposal of used polythene waste; (3) Attitude of the respondents on used polythene waste disposal, and (4) Used Polythene waste disposal practices.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSections of the questionnaire, particularly the household and demographic characteristics were partly adopted from the standard Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) Demographic Household Surveys (DHS) questionnaires while the other sections were developed by the author based on the objectives of the study and review of available literature.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eThe Key Informant Guide\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe key informant guide was used to collect qualitative data and in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants who were selected based on the knowledge about the study subject and level of authority in the city council. The participants included the town clerks for the two divisions of Lira City East and Lira City West since they are responsible for the entire management of City, the City Environment Officer currently responsible for the general solid management in the city, the City Principal Health Inspector is in charge of the overall sanitation issues including solid waste management directly supervises the Ward Health inspectors. The ward health inspectors directly supervise the solid waste management in the entire ward in a given division. The Principal Medical Officer is responsible for the general public health management for the city. The key issues for the interviews included disposal of used polythene bags, ordinances on solid waste and used polythene bags disposal, general domestic solid waste management, private sector involvement in solid waste management\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eStudy Variables:\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eDependent variables\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe practices of residents on disposal of used polythene bags was measured as a composite variable based on 9 items on practices on used polythene bags disposal among households. This was then converted into overall scores and transformed into a binary outcome (1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Proper practices on disposal of used polythene bags and 2\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Improper practices on disposal of used polythene bags).\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eIndependent variables\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIndependent variables included household and demographic characteristics, Knowledge and the attitude of the respondents on used polythene waste disposal (Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). The variables are described as below:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIndependent variables\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eStudy Variables\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eContinuous\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDescription\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAge of the respondents in completed years\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eQuantity of waste generated\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAverage daily quantity generated\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDistance to the disposal point\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDistance to the final disposal site\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eQuantity of Polythene Bags generated\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAverage per week generated\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCategorical\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarital status\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSingle, Married, Divorced, Widow/Widower\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOccupation\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFarmer, Professional, Business\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEducation level of Respondents\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrimary, Secondary, Post- Secondary/Tertiary, None\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eArea of Residence\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLocation of Respondents\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSex of Respondents\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale, Female\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLevel of awareness\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOpen ended Responses\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDisposal methods\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOpen ended Reponses\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAvailability of disposal facilities\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes or No\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eData Quality Control\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eData quality control was employed to remove mistakes, make data clean, robust and useful in order to ensure accuracy, completeness and credibility of results, the following quality control measures were applied:\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eData collectors and supervisor were selected based on their experience in the field of data collection and supervision.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eField staffs (data collectors and supervisor) were trained for three days before the commencement of data collection. During training, the objective of the study, procedures of data collection, kobo tool box and supervision were discussed in detail. Each question included in the questionnaire; key informant interview guide was discussed in detail for more clarity to the data collectors.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAll tools were pretested to ensure that data collected is credible as possible and this was done in selected households which were not part of the study and testing the Key Informant Interview checklist with the responsible city authorities.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEach day, the collected data were checked for its completeness and consistence by supervisors and the principal investigator.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eData was cleaned and rechecked through double data entry.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/li\u003e\n \u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eContent Validity\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe researcher ensured content validity of instruments by consulting experienced and skilled researchers including the supervisors. The researcher first pre-tested the questionnaires before administering it to test its validity. Results from the field helped to further refine and standardize the questionnaires.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec22\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eReliability\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTo ensure quality of this study, the researcher took several measures during the field work, analysis and conclusion process. Before the actual collection of data, data instruments were pretested on at least 10 respondents selected from one of the wards of the division not included in the study. The pretesting helped the researcher confirm the estimated time that the interviews would take per participant, and approximately the time to complete the study was 25 minutes. The pretest also helped to identify and take note of potential problems in the questionnaire and make adjustments accordingly.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec23\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eData Management and Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec24\" class=\"Section4\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eData management\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe data entry was done in excel sheets using the interviewer administered structured questionnaires in which data was collected. The entered data was exported to STATA version 17.0 for cleaning and analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe Qualitative data were collected through KIIs using in-depth interviews. The data collected was entered into the excel sheet to tally themes generated manually according to the objectives of the study.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec25\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eQuantitative data analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eData analysis was done using STATA version 17.0. Univariate analysis was used to generate proportions and percentages using the measures of central tendency; that is mean, median and mode. Bivariate analysis was used to find out associations between the dependent and independent variables, where chi square test was used for categorical variables. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the several independent variables associated with outcome variable using logistic regression.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec26\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eQualitative Data Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eQualitative data was analyzed using Braun Clerke (2016) 6 steps according to the objectives and the responses with the most frequencies was scored as 1 and then followed by 2 and the least responses was coded as 3. The data analyzed was to supplement the quantitative data that was analyzed as well. The data was extracted from the kobo collect application and exported into Excel spreadsheets for preliminary coding and categorization to make it coherent and flowing and later exported to STATA for final analysis. Content analysis was done in order to categorize verbal, for purposes of classification, summarization and tabulation to make sense of the data collected and to highlight the important messages, features or findings. Narrative analysis was done to ensure that topics and contents are coherent and they make sense to the variables of interest that needed interpretation.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec27\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eEthical Considerations\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTo ensure that the study conducted upheld ethical criteria, the following were done;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec28\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eInstitutional consent\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEthical approval for this study was done by the Gulu University Research and Ethics Committee (GUREC) (GUREC-2021-119). Once approval was done by the Ethics review committee, an introduction letter was obtained from Lira University, Faculty of Public Health that helped to start the study processes. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the office of the City Clerk and Environment officer before proceeding to the Divisions and Wards to commence the data collection.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eInformed consent\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAn informed consent was obtained from all the participants. They were informed about their participation in the study its being voluntary and they had the right to terminate/refuse to participate on their own at any point without any consequences. The purpose of the study was explained to all participants, after which written consent was obtained from them through signing or printing of two informed consent forms. All participants were assured of confidentially of the information that would be received from them by giving each participant a code.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAll respondents of this study were informed of the purpose of the study, the criteria for participation in the study, procedures that were followed and any risks or benefits which would be involved during the study was explained.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eCommunity Engagement Plan\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBefore the commencement of the data collection in the community, an introductory letter was sought from Lira city authorities and, a formal introduction of the research assistants was provided to the local councils using the letters obtained from the City Clerk prior to data collection.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"RESULTS","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSocio Demographic characteristics of Respondents\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 4 shows that majority of the respondents were aged 18 to 28 years 179 (42.5%), female 273(64.9%), and had primary level of education 147(34.9%). Most of the respondents were self-employed 173(41.1%), married 285(61.3%), and catholic 165(35.2%) (Table 4).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 4: \u0026nbsp;Socio Demographic Characteristics the Respondents (N=421)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"633\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFrequency (n)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePercentages (%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e18-28 years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e179\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e29-39 years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e106\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25.2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e40-50 years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e51-61 years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e41\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e62-75 years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSex\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMale\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e148\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e35.2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFemale\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e273\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e64.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHousehold Head\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e252\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e59.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e169\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLevel of Education\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNone\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrimary\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e147\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e34.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSecondary\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e116\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePost-secondary/Tertiary level\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e96\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22.8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOccupation\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeasant Farmer\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBusiness person/self employed\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e173\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e41.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProfessional\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e63\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHousewife\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNot employed\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eReligion\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatholic\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e165\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39.2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProtestant\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e140\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e33.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePentecostal\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMuslim\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOthers\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarital Status\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingle\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20.2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDivorced\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e44\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarried\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e285\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e61.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWidowed\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.570977917981075%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCohabiting\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"21.92429022082019%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.50473186119874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePractices of disposal of used polythene bags among residents of Lira city\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was the outcome variable of the study and the results are as indicated in table 5.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 5: Practices on disposal of used polythene bags (N=421)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePractice\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePercentage\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e95% CI\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGood\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e200\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.7-52.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePoor\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e221\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e52.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47.7-57.2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e421\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 5 shows that more than half 221(52.5%) of the respondents had poor practices of disposal of used polythene bags (Table 5).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKnowledge of respondents of towards disposal of used polythene bags\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMajority of the respondents had good knowledge about disposal of used polythene bags 78.9% (332) (Table 6).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 6: Knowledge of respondents of towards disposal of used polythene bags N=421\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"434\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eKnowledge\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePercentage\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGood\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e332\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e78.9%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePoor\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAttitudes of respondents on disposal of polythene bags\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 7 shows that majority of the respondents do not segregate waste 360(85.5%). Most of the respondents reported that polythene bags lead to drainage blockage 42.8% (180/421), destruction of the environment 96.4% (406/421), and human health problems 54.9% (231/421). Most of the respondents reported that waste segregating is not important (Table 7).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 7: Attitudes of respondents regarding polythene bag disposal (N=421)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"626\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFrequency (n)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePercentage (%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSegregate waste\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e61\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e360\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e85.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eImportant to segregate waste\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEasy identification, disposal and burning\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e385\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e91.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFood residue given to animals as feeds\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e419\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e99.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAvoid environmental pollution\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e413\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e98.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eReduce injuries and accidents\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e406\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e96.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDangers of poor disposal of polythene bags\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnimal death\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e328\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e77.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDrainage blockage\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e180\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e241\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e57.2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDestroys environment\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e406\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e96.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHuman health problems\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e231\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e54.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.3482428115016%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.447284345047922%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e190\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.20447284345048%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eRelationship between socio demographic variables, knowledge and attitudes with disposal practices of used polythene bags\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSex and level of education showed significant relationship with practices of used polythene bags disposal at the bivariate level (P\u0026lt;0.2). Knowledge was not associated with practice of disposal of use polythene bags initially. However, attitude variables such as avoiding environmental pollution (p=0.05), drainage blockage (P\u0026lt;0.001) and Human health problems (P=0.02), reduce\u0026nbsp;injuries and accidents\u0026nbsp;(P= 0.13) and\u0026nbsp;food residue given to animals as feeds (P=0.18) were significantly associated with practices of used polythene bag disposal (Table 8).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 8:\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Results of a chi square test between socio demographic variables, knowledge attitudes and their practice towards disposal of used polythene bags n=421.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"647\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eVariable\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePractice\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eChi square\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGood\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePoor\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e18-28 years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e88(49.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e91(50.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.504\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e29-39 years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e53(50)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e53(50)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e40-50 years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e34(48.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e36(51.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e51-61 years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17(41.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24(58.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e62-75 years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8(32)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17(68)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSex\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMale\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e78(52.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e70(47.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.472\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.12*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFemale\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e122(44.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e151(55.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHousehold Head\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e122(48.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e130(51.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.207\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e78(46.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e91(53.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLevel of Education\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNone\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25(40.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e37(59.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.218\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.24*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrimary\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e64(43.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e83(56.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSecondary\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e61(52.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e55(47.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTertiary level\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50(47.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e46(47.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOccupation\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.87\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeasant Farmer\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e38(42.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e51(57.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.228\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eself employed\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e85(49.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e88(50.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProfessional\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31(49.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32(50.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHousewife\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14(45.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17(54.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNot employed\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32(49.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e33(50.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eReligion\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatholic\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e73(44.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e92(55.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.572\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.81\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProtestant\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e67(47.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e73(52.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePentecostal\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e41(51.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39(48.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMuslim\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12(52.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11(47.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOthers\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7(53.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6(46.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarital Status\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingle\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e37(43.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e48(56.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.254\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.26\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDivorced\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27(61.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17(38.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarried\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e121(46.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e137(53.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWidowed\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12(50)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12(50)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCohabiting\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3(30)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7(70)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eKnowledge\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGood\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e155(46.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e177(53.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.423\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePoor\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45(50.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e44(49.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSegregate waste\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31(50.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30(49.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.314\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.58\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e169(46.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e191(53.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eImportant to segregate waste\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEasy identification, disposal and burning\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20(55.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16(44.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.023\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.31\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e180(46.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e205(53.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFood residue given to animals as feeds\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2(100)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.818\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.18*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e200(47.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e219(52.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAvoid environmental pollution\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1(12.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7(87.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.05*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e199(48.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e214(51.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eReduce injuries and accidents\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10(66.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5(33.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.13*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e190(46.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e216(53.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDangers of poor disposal of polythene bags\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAnimal death\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e41(44.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e52(55.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.559\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e159(48.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e169(51.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDrainage blockage\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e112(62.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e68(37.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27.307\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026lt;0.001*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e88(36.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e153(63.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDestroys environment\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e195(48.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e211(52.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.253\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.26\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5(33.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10(66.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHuman health problems\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e122(52.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e109(47.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.783\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.02*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e78(41.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e112(58.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFactors associated with used polythene bag disposal practices among residents of lira city\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll significant variables at bivariate analysis (P=0.2) were run in a multi-variate logistic regression analysis to adjust for the effect of cofounding. Here all the significant factors under bivariate analysis were run using a backward elimination method were factors that had p- values of more than 0.05 were eliminated until only factors with p-values of less than 0.05. The developed model of factors was tested using Hosmer Lemeshow goodness of fit and gave p-value of 0.07.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe following factors were considered statistically significantly associated with practices on disposal of used polythene bags:-\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRespondents who were older had a more than 3-fold increased odds of proper polythene bag disposal compared to those who were younger. Most of the respondents reported that improper disposal of used polythene bags lead to drainage blockage with 42.8% (180/421) where, participants who didn\u0026rsquo;t want to have drainage blockage were 3.3 times more likely to practices proper disposal of used polythene bags., destruction of the environment 96.4% (406/421), human health problems 54.9% (231/421) where,\u0026nbsp;those who didn\u0026rsquo;t want health problems were 1.7 times more likely to have proper disposal practices and reduced injuries where those who didn\u0026rsquo;t want injuries were 1.2 times more likely to dispose off the used polythene bags well or to have proper disposal practices.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAge was a predictor for disposal practices of used polythene bags. Participants between the age of 62 to 75 years were more likely to have proper disposal of used polythene bags (aOR=30.007, 1.074-8.417, P=0.036). Attitude variables such as drainage blockage (aOR=3.004, 2.00-4.633, P\u0026lt;0.001) and Human health problems (aOR=1.77, 1.156-2.734, P\u0026lt;0.009) were also significantly associated with disposal practices of used polythene bags (Table 9).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 9: Factors associated with practices of disposal of used polythene bags among residents of Lira City N=421\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003epractice\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOR\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e95% CI\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eP value\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;AOR\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;95% CI\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;p-value\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAge\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18-28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29-39\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.967\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.598-1.563\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.846\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.514-1.392\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.511\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40-50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.024\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.589-1.779\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.232\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.675-2.247\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.496\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e51-61\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.365\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.687-2.715\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.37\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.836\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.881-3.828\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.105\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e62-75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.844-5.004\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.007\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.074-8.417\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.036*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSex\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.379\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.923-2.060\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.278\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.827-1.976\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.269\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"29.85553772070626%\" colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReduce injuries\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.273\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.764-6.769\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.271\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.389-4.156\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.692\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"29.85553772070626%\" colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDrainage blockage\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.864\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.921-4.269\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.044\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.00-4.633\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"29.85553772070626%\" colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHuman health problems\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.607\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.090-2.368\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.593900481540931%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.37239165329053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.556982343499197%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.630818619582664%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.777\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"19.261637239165328%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.156-2.734\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"13.32263242375602%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.009*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNotes: * Significant variable at p \u0026lt;0.05\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eQualitative analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQualitative interviews were conducted on knowledge with responsible officers on general solid waste management, awareness of the legal infrastructure and instruments for the management of solid wastes, challenges faced on general solid waste management and efforts being undertaken to address the challenges. The interviewees were the officers responsible for the implementation and decision making on solid waste management in the city with 1 female and 5 males who participated in the interviews.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKnowledge of offices/persons responsible for solid waste management\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study inquired about the offices responsible for the management of solid waste within the city, from the responses, the respondents had good knowledge of the departments responsible for handling solid waste. The respondents reported that the city environment office and the health office under the city council were responsible. This was elaborated by one of the participants who had the following to say:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;The management of solid waste is the responsibility of council and the accounting officer has mandated two departments to be responsible for solid waste management and these are the Health Department and the Environment department. These don\u0026rsquo;t work independently but they interact with other departments like the finance and other departments. This aspect of solid waste management is not centrally managed but it\u0026rsquo;s managed at respective divisions. The two divisions have a fully-fledged system responsible for running solid waste management from collection to disposal\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e \u0026ndash; KI-4\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, another participant said;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Solid waste management is a collective responsibility that does not sit in only one office. The offices responsible are line offices like the health department which include health inspectors at the divisions, where we have health inspectors directly responsible for the day to day management of solid waste. There is also environment office, under natural resources, responsible for coordination and supervision at a higher level, to ensure that the pollution from the waste is reduced. They all report to the town clerk from their various places\u003c/em\u003e \u0026ndash; KI-5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eManagement of solid waste\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the respondents\u0026rsquo; views on the management of solid waste, a number of themes emerged during the analysis which include; waste collection, transportation, and disposal. Another theme that emerged was the role of VHTs and local leaders in waste management.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWaste collection\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring analysis, two sub-sub-themes emerged from the sub-theme of waste collection which includes; household level and community level.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHousehold-level\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was reported by the respondents that households especially those in peri-urban and satellite communities collect their waste in sacks, waste bins, bags, and other storage materials as they wait for the waste collectors to pick the wastes for disposal or take the waste to collection points. One of the participants had this to say;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;At the household level, the community members are encouraged to collect their wastes either in sacks, bags, and other storage materials and then advised to take them to the specific collection points\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ndash; KI-3\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCommunity level\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt emerged from the respondents\u0026rsquo; views that there are garbage gangs who have been employed in central business areas to sweep and collect refuse on the streets. These people do this work from Monday to Saturday and they only rest on Sunday and they are paid monthly. This was elaborated by one of the participants who said;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;The aspect of solid waste management in the central business area is different from management at the periphery of the peri-urban areas. In the central business area, there are staffs employed by the division\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;to do the daily sweeping of the city\u003c/em\u003e \u0026ndash; KI-4\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, another respondent said;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.they have employed a garbage management team at the urban setting and they are referred to as the garbage gang who do sweeping of the streets, daily except for Sunday\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.. the garbage gangs on a monthly-basis earn a salary/wage of about 100,000\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eshillings\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTransportation\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the views of the respondents, three sub-themes emerged from the sub-theme of transportation of waste and they include; waste generators/ private entities, the city council.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWaste generators and private individuals/ companies.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was reported that waste is transported by the generators to the central waste collection points like skits from their households. Sometimes or in some areas waste is picked by private individuals/ companies from households to the collection points or disposal sites and they are paid by the waste generators on an agreed amount of money between the two parties. One of the participants had the below to say.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;When generated, we ensure that the generators collect their wastes in bags, trash cans, skits or sacs and place them in specific locations so that they are transported to disposal sites\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u0026ndash; KI-5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, another participant had the below to say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;The individuals are encouraged to pay for their waste disposal services to reduce waste on the City Council. They are sensitized to keep their wastes in sacs as the private companies and individuals come to collect them. Others pay monthly and others pay weekly depending on their agreements\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e- KI-1\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCity council\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt emerged from participants\u0026rsquo; views that waste generated is transported to the disposal site by the city council. The council has tricycles and trucks responsible for collecting waste. The tricycles move from door-to-door collecting waste generated from households and taking it to collection points where it is loaded on trucks and taken to disposal sites. One participant explained it as below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Transportation is done in two ways, either using a tricycle or using the two garbage trucks recently acquired. The tricycles have operators and then for the trucks, there are service providers who help in loading, then transported to Aler compost plant where they are disposed of\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u0026ndash; KI-5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, another participant narrated;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;In the central business area, there are staffs employed by the division to do the daily sweeping of the city. They collect wastes in different spots they load them in trucks. At the peri-urban areas like Kakoge as you move out of town, we have different days when trucks are sent to the communities and they collect wastes\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; KI-5\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition, another participant had the following to say; \u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003cem\u003ethe community members are informed to transport their garbage to specific points where the trucks have been stationed. There is also a tricycle that helps in the door-to-door collection of wastes \u0026ndash; KI-1\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDisposal\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the disposal of solid waste in the city, two sub-themes emerged and they include; rubbish pits, and landfill/wind rose.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRubbish pits\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipants reported that some waste generators especially those living in rural areas dispose of their waste generated in the rubbish pit and this is at the household level. \u0026nbsp;One of the participants had the following to say according to KI- 4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;in the rural areas, we use rubbish pits, each home is encouraged to have their own rubbish pit where they dispose their waste generated. We also encourage them to burn non-biodegradable wastes like used polythene bags and used plastic bottles. \u0026nbsp;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e \u0026ndash; KI-4\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLandfill/ wind rose\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was also reported that waste collected is disposed of in the landfill or wind rose according to its nature. Non-biodegradable is directly disposed of in the landfill and biodegradable is disposed of in the wind rose to make compost manure. This was explained by one participant who had the below to say:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;..wastes are transported to Aler compost plant where they are disposed of. Non-biodegradable ones are disposed of directly to open landfills and biodegradable ones are put in the wind rose to support processing manure. In Aler, there are people responsible for sorting and processing manure manually\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; KI-5\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQuantity of waste collected\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study inquired about the estimate of the quantity of solid waste collected in the city. Some participants did not have any estimate whereas others estimated in terms of tons and trips taken to the waste plant per day. Some participants had the below to say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;The number of tones of solid wastes collected daily or monthly could possibly be got from the compost plant since I don\u0026rsquo;t have it off head\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; KI-5\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;On a daily basis, about 10 tons of solid waste is collected from City West, which is about 240 \u0026ndash; 300 tons of solid waste collected in a month\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e \u0026ndash; KI-1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;In addition, another participant explained as below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.This depends on the days of the week but it is on Monday that we have the highest number of trips which are about 4 trips. The other subsequent days we take about 2 or 3 trips depending on the level of generation. The highest quantity is taken on Monday because Sunday is skipped; waste is not transported on Sunday\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e \u0026ndash; KI-3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrivate entities in solid waste management\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the views of the study participants, three sub-themes emerged from the theme of private entities involved in solid waste management. These sub-themes include; none, individuals, and companies, and they are elaborated below.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNone\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt emerged from the responses of the participants that there was no private entity involved in solid waste management at the moment of data collection in City East. Though it was reported that private companies had been there before. One of the participants had the below to say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Apparently there is no private company participating in solid waste management within City East but at some point, some two private companies contracted to do garbage collection within the city. These were only collected from only the business centers and institutions. The private companies were contracted to do garbage collection from the business center and institutions but some individuals would pay them to collect their garbage\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; KI-3\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIndividuals\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipants reported that there are some individuals within the city who engage in solid waste management, there are those individuals who are employed to sweep and collect garbage in the city and others who move door to door to collect garbage and are paid by the waste generators themselves. One of the participants had the below to say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;The individuals are encouraged to pay for their waste disposal services to reduce waste on the City Council. They are sensitized to keep their wastes in sacs as the private companies and individuals come to collect them. Others pay monthly and others pay weekly depending on their agreements\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ndash;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eKI-3\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother participant further explained as below,\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eApparently, some private individuals have been contracted to collect waste within the city west and these are called cleaners or garbage gangs. Within the City west, they are 25 in number and their role is to wake up in the morning and ensure that they embark on garbage collection and management, and they are paid on monthly basis a wage of about 150,000/= per month. Meanwhile, some private truck owners have been contracted to pick garbage from the households to be taken to the collection points where the city council trucks can pick them up to take to the final disposal point (Aler)\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ndash; KI-2\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompanies\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt emerged from the respondents\u0026rsquo; views that there are some private companies that are involved in solid waste management within Lira City. These companies are contracted by the city council. One of the participants had the below to say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;There is apparently one company called Alliance solution that is in partnership with the City Council to collect garbage though they are not so common on the ground\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ndash; KI-1\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, another participant elaborated as below;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe garbage collection is basically done by private companies who make agreements based on affordability, needs, and capacity with the industries and individuals who generate waste. They have a database and from time to time they move to those collection points s and they are paid for based on agreements. The private companies include Alliance Water Solution, Lira city cleaners, and half watch\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ndash; KI-5\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAwareness of legal instruments for the management of solid waste\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study inquired about the knowledge of the respondents on the legal instruments used in the management of solid waste. It was found that all the respondents were aware of the instruments. Some of those mentioned include; the Public Health Act, the constitution of Uganda, the NEMA act, the Health and Safety Act, the City Ordinance, the environment act, and the physical planning act. One of the participants explained as below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Definitely there are legal instruments governing solid waste management. Firstly, the legal mandate is drawn from the constitution of Uganda, then there is the NEMA act, the Health and Safely Act, and also the Council by- law and there is also an ordinance in place, a city ordinance equivalent to the district\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ndash; KI-3\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, another participant had the below to say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;We have the national environment act, a section which provides for issues of waste management, collection and transportation. Standards for waste management in urban areas, there is also the physical planning act as amended in 2020 and the public health act\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e \u0026ndash;\u0026nbsp;\u003cem\u003eKI-2\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eChallenges faced in solid waste management\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study inquired about the challenges faced in the management of solid waste in the city and several sub-themes emerged from the respondents\u0026rsquo; views. The sub-themes that emerged include; ignorance of community members, negligence of communities, political, financial, and low partnerships. Sub-sub-themes also emerged from some of the sub-themes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIgnorance\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipants reported that there are knowledge gaps about solid waste management among the community members. This is greatly contributing to the poor solid waste management practices among the people. It was reported that people do not know what to do in terms of proper handling of different kinds of waste generated. One of the participants had the below to say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Thirdly, there is the knowledge gap in managing waste especially used polythene bags which has become a major challenge here in the city. For example people those in the peri urban areas of the city do not know what waste management means and its even worst with used polythene bags, and also \u0026nbsp; people\u0026rsquo;s knowledge of waste management needs to be increased\u003c/em\u003e\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u0026ndash; KI-1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, another participant reported that;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;There is crude dumping, people just throw waste anywhere without segregating them, and they do not have where to put the waste. Another challenge is that polythene is the most widely used material for carrying goods but people don\u0026rsquo;t have knowledge on how to manage the used polythene bags and they don\u0026rsquo;t even know its effect on the environment\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; KI-3\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNegligence\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt emerged from the participants that some community members are negligible, they do not want to do the right practices in relation to the management of the waste they generate. And this is also one of the major factors affecting solid waste management in Lira City. This was elaborated by one of the participants who explained below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Negligence of the community members. Much as they know what to do regarding waste management, they are relaxed and they do not take garbage management as a serious issue. People just litter their compound without caring about the implications it is evident with the used polythene bags they dispose\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e \u0026ndash; KI-3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition, another participant had the following to say; \u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;The mindset of the people towards waste management is also a challenge that needs to be changed\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; KI-2\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePolitical challenges;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt emerged from participants as they pointed out that some of the challenges facing solid waste management were political and two sub-sub-themes emerged from this sub-theme. The sub-sub-themes that emerged include; enforcement of laws, and physical planning.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnforcement of laws\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was reported that there is no enforcement of laws and policies in regard to solid waste management. Some laws are in place but they have not yet been legalized which has greatly affected the management of solid waste among the generators. One of the participants had the below to say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Political interference is also another problem much as the laws are in place; they are not yet legalized, so there is not much to be done without legal functional laws\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; KI-1\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhysical planning\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was pointed out by the participants that physical planning has not been done well, especially on allocation of the sites for disposal of wastes. Some areas do not have sites for waste collection or disposal. One of the participants reported as below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Another challenge is from the perspective of the physical planning of Lira City. There are no gazetted places for dumping some of the wastes. There are no legal sites for waste dumping\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; KI-3\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinancial\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt emerged that there are challenges that are in line with finance according to the views of the participants. Three sub-sub-themes emerged from this sub-theme and they include; budget, transportation, and delayed payment of the garbage gang.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBudget\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt emerged that the budget for waste management is not clear. This greatly affects the implementation of activities of solid waste management. This was elaborated by one of the participants who had the below to say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Allocation in terms of the budget is not clear i.e. waste management does not have a clear budget line. As in the local government act in urban settings waste is supposed to be managed by the divisions so it does not have clear cuts or budget lines, so it\u0026rsquo;s upon the divisions to always allocate money from the property rates for waste management but they are asking the ministry of finance planning and economic development to always make clear budget lines and allocation funds for especially waste management\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; KI-5\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTransport\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the views of the participants, it was found that there were challenges related to transport. These issues include; insufficient fuel, tricycles, bikes, vehicles (trucks and cars), transportation of waste, and even staff members, especially those responsible for the supervision of different activities. One of the participants explained as below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eThere is only one truck for city west so far and even the driver is just volunteering, it is the division to arrange for his payment. Transport for supervision by the health inspector is another challenge, no bike, no vehicle which makes work difficult. Fuel for the trucks is also another challenge, the payments for fuel are delayed and this delays the whole process of solid waste management\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e \u0026ndash; KI-4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDelayed payment of garbage gang\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt emerged from the participants that there is the delayed payment of the garbage gang which demoralizes them in their work. This has a great effect on the work of these people, when they are not paid sometimes they strike and don\u0026rsquo;t work which means that the city will not be cleaned for days. This was elaborated by one of the respondents who had the below to say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Another challenge is the delayed payment of the garbage gang which demoralizes them. Sometimes the gang is not paid for long and yet they have demands to meet. Others decide to go for other work which means the areas that they usually clean are left filthy. And at times these gangs strike until they are given their payment in order to resume their work. \u0026ndash; KI-5\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEfforts from authorities aimed at combating the challenges\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study inquired about the efforts in place by the responsible authorities in order to solve the challenges that are faced in the management of solid waste in the city. Three sub-themes emerged from this theme and they include; sensitizations, provision of facilities for waste management, and advocacies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSensitizations\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt emerged from the participants\u0026rsquo; responses that there are sensitizations among the people to ensure that there are good practices in regard to solid waste management. These sensitizations are made through different avenues like meetings, workshops, and sanitation campaigns, door-to-door visits by VHTs and LCIs among others. This is a strategy that is aimed at equipping people with knowledge about solid waste management to change people\u0026rsquo;s behavior and improve their practices. One of the participants had the below to say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIgnorance of the community is being handled through sensitization at lower levels through the use of LCIs, and VHTs and some churches also do sensitization. Workshops and meetings are being held in order for communities to learn that waste should be sorted. Campaigns like sanitation week, keep city west clean, and mayors\u0026rsquo; day is held to clean the town.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ndash; KI-1\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition, another participant reported that;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Sensitization of communities on a regular basis will also enable community members to change their mindsets towards garbage management by embracing positive attitudes towards garbage management\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; KI-2\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvision of facilities\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt emerged from the participants that there has been the provision of facilities to facilitate in management of solid wastes in the city. Some of the facilities provided are waste skits, trucks, and tricycles among others. It was also reported that there are plans of acquiring land to construct two landfills one in each division of the city. This was elaborated by one of the participants who had the below to say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Trucks (2) have been availed under USMID one for City East and one for City West to ease transportation of wastes. In addition, City East also has two tricycles to collect wastes from areas that are inaccessible to the garbage truck\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; KI-3\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, another participant said as below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;More trucks will also be added to the two divisions once the budget allocation is improved and is in effect. There is also a plan to acquire land for the two divisions to construct a landfill in each\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e \u0026ndash; KI-5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAdvocacy\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was found out from the views of the participants that advocacy is one of the ways used to curb some of the challenges faced in solid waste management in Lira City. The advocacies are about the budget for solid waste management, private entities to engage in solid waste management, and recruitment of more human resources. This was explained by one of the participants as below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;There is advocacy done on the increment of funding so that much is allocated towards waste management in order to increase the scope of operation on garbage management. They are also seeking partnerships, public-private partnerships with capable, competent companies with resources that can join hands with us in order to help in areas of waste management\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ndash; KI-2\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, another participant narrated;\u0026nbsp;\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;More human resources are being recruited, environmental officers in both divisions the number of health inspectors will also increase to ensure that the coordination and supervision become easy\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ndash; KI-5\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"DISCUSSION","content":"\u003ch2\u003eSocio demographics characteristics of the respondents of Lira city\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study results shows that majority of the respondents were aged 18 to 28 years 179 (42.5%), female 273(64.9%), and had primary level of education 147(34.9%). Most of the respondents were self-employed 173(41.1%), married 285(61.3%), and catholic 165(35.2%).\u0026nbsp;The findings is in line with the findings from another study, which shows that women buy basic consumer goods such as food, health items, clothing and household products more often than men. Men more often buy expensive goods like cars and electronic equipment. The results of this current study is also in line with a study conducted in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties, Kenya which indicate that irrespective of peoples\u0026rsquo; gender, age, education, or occupation, majority of the population frequently used plastic bags in their daily operations but does not dispose them properly [3].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePractices of the residents on disposal of used polythene bags in Lira city\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFindings from this study regarding practices reports poor polythene bags disposal with 52.5% that most of the respondents said there were no waste collection points with 85.8% (361/421) and 85.8% (361/421) says that no private companies do waste collection in the areas of residence, and of the 60 respondents who reported that companies collect wastes, most of them 37 reported door-to-door collections. On storage of wastes, only 16.4% (69/421) use bags, 15.4% (65/421) use dustbins, 59.4% (250/421) on the ground, and 6.7% (28/421) in baskets or cut jerrycans. This findings are in line with a study conducted by shahzahi et al regarding practices of waste disposal indicates that more than 50 percent of respondents had poor practices towards waste disposal. In spite having good knowledge regarding waste disposal, there is blaming on lack of awareness and unavailability of public dustbins [11]. Additionally, in a another study conducted in India on observation of practices regarding waste disposal shows that 27% of the people practice \u0026nbsp;open waste dumping \u0026nbsp;claiming lack of resources besides adequate knowledge on waste disposal [11].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother study conducted in the Philippine reveals lower levels of practices on solid waste management among students, besides the high levels of knowledge and attitude above 50 percent [6]. According to one of the key informants, at the household level, the community members are encouraged to collect their wastes either in sacks, bags, and other storage materials and then advised to take them to the specific collection points contrary to the study findings which reports that 85.5%of the residents/respondents do not have waste collection points in their areas of residence. \u0026nbsp; Additionally, according to one of the key informants for the qualitative findings says\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u0026ldquo;There is apparently one company called Alliance solution that is in partnership with the City Council to collect garbage though they are not so common on the ground\u0026rdquo; and the statement also agrees with the findings from the quantitative results stated above of \u0026nbsp; 85.8% (361/421) says that no private companies do waste collection in the areas of residence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, this section of discussion also comprises of significant results from the multivariate analysis. \u0026nbsp;The significant factors at multivariate level include age, Sex of respondents, and attitudes of the respondents. Out of the 421 fully filled questionnaires, 78.9% of the respondents had good knowledge of used polythene bag disposal. Similarly, a study by [1] reported that 80% of the households had good knowledge on general waste management. In a study conducted in Lahare reported that knowledge has significant effects on the general waste management of the people. From the interviews conducted with respondents, they reported household campaigns on general waste management were they are encouraged to use locally available materials like used buckets and sacks for waste collection. This probably explains the good knowledge level on waste management.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKnowledge of the residents on disposal of used polythene Bags\u0026nbsp;in Lira city\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the study\u0026apos;s findings, 421 of the sample\u0026apos;s 422 respondents (99.8%) gave the surveys their complete attention. Knowledge was not found to be significant \u0026nbsp;while the residents\u0026apos; level of knowledge regarding the disposal of used polythene bags was assessed using a composite variable based on nine questions about such knowledge across households, and it was divided into two categories: excellent and bad knowledge regarding such disposal. \u0026nbsp;This study findings shows that majority of the respondents 78.9% (332 out of 421) had good knowledge of proper disposal of used polythene bags.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study findings agree with those of a study conducted in South Africa which reported that 80% of community people had the knowledge about household waste disposal and were aware about adverse effects of improper waste disposal, and most community members in the same study 83% knew that production of waste can harm the environment and most of the respondents 40% were disposed of food category and used the burial method for disposed of waste [1].\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore over 50% of participants in a different survey carried out in Kenya were said to be knowledgeable about the effects that incorrect disposal of discarded polythene bags would have on their pets all this is in line with the findings from this study. Additionally, another study conducted in Nigeria reveals that,\u0026nbsp;good knowledge was found to be associated with educational status. Educational status is dependent on correct knowledge of solid waste (\u0026chi;2=5.559, p\u0026lt;0.05), while there is a statistically significant association between their educational status and their knowledge of hazards on improper waste management (\u0026chi;2=3.719, p\u0026lt;0.05) [2] all these are in agreement with findings of this study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAttitude of the residents on disposal of used polythene bags\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile on the attitude, the findings from this study shows that majority of the respondents do not segregate waste with 360/421 (85.5%). Most of the respondents reported that improper disposal of used polythene bags lead to drainage blockage with 42.8% (180/421) where, participants who didn\u0026rsquo;t want to have drainage blockage were 3.3 times more likely to practices proper disposal of used polythene bags., destruction of the environment 96.4% (406/421), human health problems 54.9% (231/421) where,\u0026nbsp;those who didn\u0026rsquo;t want health problems were 1.7 times more likely to have proper disposal practices and reduced injuries where those who didn\u0026rsquo;t want injuries were 1.2 times more likely to dispose off the used polythene bags well or to have proper disposal practices. Findings from this study are in line with those of a study conducted in Pakistan which reported that the increasing burden of infection and diseases where 52% of the people said it was as a result of poor household waste disposal practices which has led to contamination of the environment and plastic waste generation was very much lower than all other types of waste and 41% of the participants had satisfactory waste disposal practices [3]. Additionally another study conducted in the Philippine reveals lower levels of practice on solid waste management among students besides the high levels of knowledge and attitude above 50 percent [6].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFactors associated with used polythene bag disposal among residents in Lira City\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResults of this study indicate that respondents who were older had a more than 3-fold increased odds of proper disposal of used polythene bags compared to those who were younger. This current finding is in line with findings of a study that revealed that, age was an independent factor in predicting respondent\u0026rsquo;s tendency for taking part in solid waste source separation including used polythene bags, where those aged more than 45 years had an increased likelihood and positive attitudes towards the development of source reduction compared to their younger counterparts. Contrary to this result, a study conducted in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties, Kenya indicate that people irrespective of their gender, age, education, or occupation frequently sued used plastic bags in their daily operations but do not dispose them properly Regardless of the results, the findings of the present study can be based on the fact that older individuals have had more sensitizations on waste management, thus tend to do the right things based on experience.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe results indicate that attitude variables such as improper disposal of used polythene bags resulting into health problems and blocking drainage channels had significant associations with practices of plastic bags disposal in that, respondents\u0026rsquo; who did not view polythene bags as a danger to the environment in terms of blocking drainage channels were up to 3 times less likely to dispose of the bags properly (P\u0026lt;0.001) compared to their counter parts. Additionally, those who did not perceive that improper disposal of polythene bags could result in health problems were 1.8 times less like to practice proper disposal methods (P\u0026lt;0.009).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"CONCLUSISON AND RECOMMENDATIONS","content":"\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe findings indicate that more women participated in the study than the men with primary education as the most common level of education attained by the respondents. The study also reports that concerning the waste management practices of the respondents, residents who were older were more likely to have better polythene bags disposal practices compared to the young. The findings indicate that the females were more likely to have proper polythene bags disposal practices than the males, even when knowledge of disposal was generally good.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study reports poor attitude by the residents of the city towards used polythene bags disposal practices as the final analysis results indicated residents\u0026rsquo; inability to acknowledge that polythene bags improper disposal is a threat to human health and the environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eRecommendations\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is need to plan for awareness creation sessions and implementation should be done on general waste management with emphasis on disposal of used polythene bags.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is need to procure more garbage collection trucks to support waste collection.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso, there is need to involve more men to do frequent waste collection and disposal effectively.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContinuous advocacy for increase in funding specifically for general solid waste management.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cp\u003eUBOS \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Uganda Bureau of Statistics\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDHS \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Demographic Household Surveys\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDHO\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;District Health Officer\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUSMID\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Program\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePPW \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Plastic Polythene Waste\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGOU\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Government of Uganda\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSWM\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Solid Waste Management\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNEMA\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;National Environment Management Authority\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNDP\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;National Development Plan\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKCCA \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Kampala Capital City Authority\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUN-OCHA\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSPSS\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Statistical Package for Social Sciences\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGHG \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Green House Gases\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData is available on request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding Information\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study did not receive funding from any source.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe protocol was presented to the faculty of public health; at Lira University for coherence, and ethical approval was sought from the Uganda National council for science and technology through the Gulu University Research and Ethics committee (GUREC-2021-119).\u0026nbsp;An introduction letter was obtained from Lira University, Faculty of Public Health that helped to start the study processes. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the office of the City Clerk and Environment officer before proceeding to the Divisions and Wards to commence the data collection.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the authors declared that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data set and questionnaires used during this study are available on request on an email [email protected]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research didn\u0026rsquo;t receive any funding from any source.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026apos; contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCA, SO and ARA did the conceptualization of the study idea, and data analysis. SO developed, and edited the manuscript. SO, IA and CO guided the writing and reviewing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAdogu POU, Uwakwe KA, Egenti NB, Okwuoha AP, Nkwocha IB. Assessment of Waste Management Practices among Residents of Owerri Municipal Imo State Nigeria. J Environ Prot. 2015;06(05):446\u0026ndash;56. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2015.65043\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.4236/jep.2015.65043\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAzubike OC, Emelumadu OF, Nnebue CC. Educational Status and Knowledge of Meaning, Composition and Hazards of Solid Waste among Residents in Onitsha Metropolis, Nigeria. 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(2014). \u003cem\u003eSolid Waste Management in Ghana: The Case of Tamale Metropolitan Area\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003e4\u003c/em\u003e(17), 129\u0026ndash;148.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShahzadi A, Hussain M, Afzal M, Gillani SA. (2018). \u003cem\u003eDetermination the Level of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding Household Waste Disposal among People in Rural Community of Lahore\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003e5\u003c/em\u003e(3), 219\u0026ndash;224. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.3126/ijssm.v5i3.20614\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.3126/ijssm.v5i3.20614\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSsemugabo C, Wafula ST, Lubega GB, Ndejjo R, Osuret J, Halage AA, Musoke D. (2020). \u003cem\u003eStatus of Household Solid Waste Management and Associated Factors in a Slum Community in Kampala, Uganda\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003e2020\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStephen H, Mlc D. (2017). \u003cem\u003eMessage from the Minister Implementing a lightweight single-use plastic bag ban in Western Australia\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"http://www.dwer.wa.gov.au\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Local Governments Act. (2000). \u003cem\u003eThe Local Governments (Kampala City Council) (Solid Waste Management) Ordinance\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttp://www.kcca.go.ug/uploads/acts/Solid waste ordinance.pdf\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"http://www.kcca.go.ug/uploads/acts/Solid waste ordinance.pdf\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Knowledge, attitude, practices, disposal, polythene bags, residents of Lira City","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4757110/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4757110/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eImproper disposal of used polythene bags waste remains a significant public health challenge worldwide. In Uganda, 53% of solid wastes are generated in urban areas, especially in households. Lira City passed a solid waste management ordinance 2019 to support solid waste management including polythene bags, and use of enforcement among others but the implementation of the interventional measures remains a challenge since Polythene bags are used as daily shopping bags, and also for packaging food. This study therefore assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices of residents of Lira City on the disposal of used polythene bags.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA cross-sectional study survey was employed. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected among 421 randomly selected residents of Lira City. Data was collected using structured Questionnaires and key interview guides through face-to-face interviews. Quantitative data analysis was done using STATA Version 17, summarized as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Pearson Chi-square test was run for bivariate analysis, and multivariate analysis using logistic regression p-value of 0.05 to obtain significant variables associated with the outcome variable. Qualitative data analysis was manually done using the Braun \u0026amp; Clerke 2016, 6 steps.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eOverall, the rate was 99.8%. Disposal practices of respondents were improper at 52.5%, a good number of the respondents 42.5% were aged 18 to 28 years, female 64.9%, and 34.9% attained a primary level of education. Most of them were self-employed 41.1%, married 61.3%, and Catholic 35.2%. The majority 78.9% had good knowledge of proper disposal of used polythene bags. Significant factors associated with used polythene bags disposal among residents in Lira City were age [AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.007; 95% CI; 1.074\u0026ndash;8.417], Sex [AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.2; 95% CI; 0.82\u0026ndash;1.97], Reduced Injuries [AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.2; 95% CI; 0.38\u0026ndash;4.15], Drainage blockage [AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.04; 95% CI; 2.00-4.63], and Human Health Problems [AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.7; 95% CI; 1.15\u0026ndash;2.73].\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eknowledge of disposal of used polythene bags was good; disposal practices were poor at 52.5%. KII reported a knowledge gap in managing used polythene bags which has become a major challenge in Lira city. \u0026ldquo;The waste management practices of the people in the peri-urban areas of the city are very poor and it\u0026rsquo;s even worse with used polythene bags. Therefore, need for awareness creation on general waste management with emphasis on the disposal of used polythene bags\u0026rdquo; KI-1 said.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Disposal of Polythene Bags Among Residents of Lira City, Northern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-08-13 07:57:36","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4757110/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"e49aab6e-6b67-49d8-afb4-2c637562e71d","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 13th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-08-27T11:14:43+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-08-13 07:57:36","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4757110","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4757110","identity":"rs-4757110","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}