Relationship between Household Size and Access to Improved Water Sources and Basic Sanitation in Bomet Municipality, Kenya

Abstract

Improved water sources, sanitation facilities and good hygiene are fundamental to health, survival, growth and development. The principal sources of water in Bomet municipality as well as sanitation are unimproved. As a result, diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid cases are still reported in the area. This study was conducted to determine if there is a relationship between household size and household access to improved water sources and basic sanitation in Bomet municipality. Multi-stage random sampling method was used to obtain the sample. 151 households were selected for the study. The questionnaire was the main instrument for data collection. Analysis of data was done using the SPSS. Data on household size and household level of access to basic sanitation and water were summarized using frequencies and percentages. Correlations at 5% level of significance were used to assess the relationship between household size and household access to improved water sources and basic sanitation. Results from the study indicated that there was a negative relationship between household size and household access to improved water sources as indicated by the correlation coefficient of -0.532 and that there was no relationship between household size and household access to basic sanitation as indicated by the correlation coefficient of - 0.072. The amount of water used per person per day significantly decreases as the household size increases. Shifting from larger to smaller households can bring a reduction in household water use. There is need for a study to establish what impacts on household access to basic sanitation in Bomet municipality.

Keywords: household size, improved water sources, basic sanitation