Perception on the effect of provision of basic social amenities on deaths through diarrhoea in South-East Nigeria

Abstract

This study focused on perception of the effect of the provision of basic social amenities and death by diarrhea in southeast Nigeria. The specific objective of the study was to examine the relationship between provision of basic social amenities and death by diarrhea in south-east Nigeria. It was hypothesized that there is no significant relationship between provision of basic social amenities and deaths by diarrhea in South-East Nigeria. Quantitative data was collected from 590 respondents with structured questionnaire while the qualitative data was generated using in-depth interviews. The quantitative data were processed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20.0 and analyzed descriptively using frequency distribution tables and percentages while the qualitative data was analyzed with Qualitative Data Analysis-Miner. The hypothesis was tested using Multiple Regression Analysis. The findings showed that access to pipe-borne water and having good toilet facilities (e.g., water system) are significantly associated with lower diarrhea mortality at (β = -0.42, p < 0.001) and (β = -0.36, p = 0.001) respectively while deteriorated environmental conditions are significantly associated with increased diarrhea mortality (β = 0.34, p = 0.035). It was, therefore, recommended that infrastructure investments should prioritize clean water access and improved sanitation facilities, even in areas where general housing conditions are adequate.