1

Chapter 1

Introduction

Background of the problem

Need and significance of the study

Statement of the problem

Objectives

Operational definitions

Hypothesis

Conceptual framework

2

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

The house in which you and your family live needs to be clean and tidy as well as

hygienic for the good health of your family. The Household Waste management

promotes the safe use, storage and disposal of waste materials. By educating consumers,

we can avoid potentially hazardous products and dispose waste in a safe manner. It will

help the consumers to buy only what is needed, use it up completely or share leftovers

with someone who can use it to avoid accumulation of waste around the home

surroundings. Moreover, recycle those materials that can be recycled, and dispose of

leftover or unwanted products through hazardous waste collection facilities.

Waste is generated as a consequence of household activities such as the cleaning,

cooking, repairing emptying containers, packaging and increased use of plastic carry

bags. The main reason for this is there is no system for disposing the organic, inorganic

and recyclable wastes at the household level. Furthermore, door-to-door collection is

rarely practiced in rural community; collection bins are poorly managed and are usually

found open and seen spilled around. Many times these waste are not properly segregated

and get mixed, which contributes to a media for the nurturing of rodents and mosquito

which in turn lead to health problems to the people of surrounding community.

The improper handling and management of domestic waste pose threat to the,

neighbours and the public at large, this deteriorates the health and resources of the

society.

3

Background of the problem

A study on household waste management and environmental health consequences

in Austria reveals that household waste does contribute to negative environmental and

health consequences that cannot be neglected. The organic waste should also be regarded

as a resource and several appropriate technologies exist for adequate treatment and

resource recovery, including composting and anaerobic digestion1.

Presently the inhabitants of Delhi generate about 7000 tons/day of Municipal

solid waste, which is projected to rise to 17,000-25,000tonnes/day by the year

2021.Municipal solid waste management has remained one of the most neglected areas of

the municipal system in Delhi. About 70-80% of generated Municipal solid waste is

collected and the rest remains unattended on streets or in small open dumps2.

A study on management of solid waste on household basis, in Honduras states

that many communities do not have access to organized public solid waste collection and

disposal services. This study of waste management in two Garifuna communities on the

north coast of Honduras reveals that, at the household level, people use a variety of

management and disposal strategies. These pathways (places and practices) for solid

waste disposal are guided by local perception that waste as harmless refuse, re-usable

resources, or dangerous materials and the environment is the appropriate place for its

disposal. The paper concludes that people manage household waste using diverse

strategies that are both rational and effective3.

Solid waste management (SWM) is one of the most neglected aspects of India's

environment; activities relating to municipal solid waste management are utter failure.

Researcher explained the reasons for the failure of solid waste management system in

4

India are: underestimation of generation rates and therefore, underestimation of resource

requirements, lack of technical and managerial inputs, and lack of reliable and updated

information to the public and practitioners4.

Need and significance of the study

Community-based waste projects often fail because of low participation from

households. If solid waste management is not a ‘felt need’, this will have consequences

for their participation in the service and their willingness to pay5.

A study on community-based solid waste management systems in Indonesia,

revealed that household waste separation and management are poorly handled by the

people and government didn’t take any initiatives to control the communicable disease

happened due to this improper management of household waste. The researcher

recommended to encourage an established community based composting, burning like

techniques to overcome this6.

Waste is a material that no longer serves a purpose and so is thrown away. In

some cases what one person discards may be re-used by somebody else. All wastes are

particularly hazardous if not carefully disposed of; it will have an impact on the

environment7.

The output of daily waste depends upon the dietary habits, life styles, living standards

and the degree of urbanization and industrialization. The per capita daily solid waste

produced ranges between 0.25 to 2.5kg in different countries. There is a correlation

between improper disposal of solid wastes and incidence of vector-borne diseases.

Therefore, in all civilized countries, there is an efficient system for its periodic collection,

removal and final disposal without risk to health.8

5

The United States has the dubious distinction of being the world’s biggest solid

waste producer. With only 4.6% of the world’s population, Americans produce 33% of

the world’s solid waste 11 billion tons each year. Every day each person in every

American household tosses away an average of 4.3 pounds of refuse. 9

The municipal workers are most affected people by the occupational danger of

waste handling; they suffer from illness like eye problems, respiratory problems, gastro-

intestinal and skin problems. Many times the animals like the cows, buffalos eat up the

plastics along with the food and due it the death of animals ensues. Due to eating up of

waste generated food it affect the quality and quantity of the milk products of the

animals.10

The improper management and lack of disposal technique of the domestic waste

pollute the environment. It affects the water bodies. It also changes the physical, chemical

and biological properties of the water bodies. Uncollected waste is scattered everywhere

and reaches to the water bodies through run-off as well as percolate to underground

water. The toxics contain in the waste, contaminates water. It also makes soil infertile and

decrease the agricultural productivity.11

Due to uncollected waste and improper disposal techniques drains also get

clogged leading to mosquito breeding by which various diseases like malaria, chickun-

gunya, viral fever, dengue etc. arise and affect the health of people adversely.12

Poor Domestic waste management also displays an ugly scenario of the

environment. This can affect the tourism industry, as the tourist may not get attracted to

visit the country.13

6

The Composition of average domestic dustbin can be broken down as follows:

10% Glass

30% Paper/Cardboard

9% Metals

3% Textiles

4% Plastics

23% Vegetable Waste

21% Dust, Cinders, Miscellaneous

Some of the waste on the other hand may also contain poisonous substances like

Mercury, lead, cadmium from batteries, old medicines, household cleaning & Decorating

chemicals and garden chemicals.14

In India we produce 300 to 400 gms of solid waste per person per day in town of

Normal size but exceptionally about 500 to 800gms of solid waste is generated per capita

per day in metro cities like Delhi and Bombay. 7

According to The Energy Research Institute (TERI). “Our limited analysis

suggests that unclean air and water may be taking a toll in terms of over eight lakh deaths

in the country each year and morbidity costs amounting to 3.6% of GDP,” the report

said.15

The urban population of 285 million is concentrated in a few large cities and 32

metropolitan cities are accounting for 34.5 percent of the urban population that is

expected to reach 341 million by 2010 (census of India, 2001). The waste quantities are

estimated to increase from 46 million tonnes in 2001 to 65 million tonnes in 2010.The

7

waste characteristics are expected to change due to urbanization, increased

commercialization and standard of living. The present trend indicates that the paper and

plastics content will increase while the organic content will decrease. In keeping with the

present practices and estimates of waste generation, around 90% of the generated wastes

are land filled requiring around 1200 hectare of land every year with an average depth of

3 m. Due to rapid urbanization, prevailing land use regulation and completing demands

for available land, it is desirable that adequate land be earmarked at the planning stage

itself for solid waste disposal. The larger quantities of solid waste and higher degree of

urbanization will necessitate better management involving a higher level of expenditure

on manpower and equipment.16

Man is behind every development endeavor. Today the world is facing the

greatest threat from the activities of humans. Waste management is a key factor for a

better environment and its initial step begins in the management of house hold waste.

Reduction and recycling of household waste conserves resources and energy that would

be expended in the production of more products. Proper disposal of waste prevent

pollution that could endanger human health and environment. By this study the

investigator aims to make awareness on proper waste disposal.

Statement of the problem

“Effect of a Structured Teaching Programme on Knowledge and Practice of

Household Waste Management among Women of Muhamma Gramapanchayath,

Alappuzha District.”

8

Objectives

Assess the knowledge on household waste management among women by using a

structured questionnaire.

Assess the Practice on household waste management among women by using an

observation check list.

Determine the effect of structured teaching programme on household waste

management among women.

Determine the correlation between the knowledge and practice on household

waste management among women.

Determine the association between the knowledge and selected demographic

variable on household waste management among women.

Determine the association between the practice and selected demographic variable

on household waste management among women.

Operational definition

1) Structured teaching programme: It refers to a systematically developed

instructional programme using instructional aids, designed to provide information on the

house hold waste and its management.

2) Household waste management: Household waste management is the process of

disposing waste materials such as, kitchen wastes, liquid waste and occupant’s wastes by

various methods such as; burning, burying, closed pits and septic tank.

3) Women: It refers to the people who are ladies or females in the age group (25-50 yrs)

who are holding the primary responsibility of the family.

9

4) Effect: It refers to the change in knowledge and practice of house hold waste

management among women after structured teaching programme on household waste

management.

5) Knowledge: It refers to the facts and information acquainted by the women in the age

group (25-50 yrs) who are holding the primary responsibility of the family has about

house hold waste management

6) Practice: It refers to the methods adopted as a routine for disposing household waste

materials by the women.

Hypothesis

H1--There is a significant difference in knowledge scores on house hold waste

management among women before and after intervention.

H2 -- There is a significant difference in practice scores on house hold waste

management among women before and after intervention.

H3 --There is a significant correlation between knowledge and practice on house

hold waste management among women.

Theoretical frame work

Theoretical framework is a set of defined concepts and relational statements

among all major concepts to provide a systematic view of phenomenon. It is a theoretical

approach to the study of problems that are significantly based and emphasizes the

selection, arrangements and classification of its concepts.

Present study aims at evaluating the effect of structured teaching programme on

Knowledge and Practice of Household Waste Management among Women.

10

The conceptual framework of the present study is based on General Systems

Theory with input, process, output and feedback. This model was first introduced by

Ludwig Von Bertalanffy in 1968. According to this theory, a system is a group of

elements that interact with one another in order to achieve the goal. An individual is a

system because he/she receives input from the environment. This input when processed

provides an output. All living systems are open. There is a continual exchange of matter,

energy and information. The system is cyclical in nature and continues to be so, as long

as the four parts – input, process, output and feedback – keep interacting with each other.

If there are changes in any of the parts, there will be alteration in all other parts. Feedback

from within the system or from the environment provides information, which helps the

system to determine its effectiveness.

Input: Consists of information, material or energy that enters the system. In this study

woman is a system with input from self and that acquired from the environment. The

input includes age, type of family, religion, marital status, family income, educational

qualification and occupation. Moreover, preparation of structured teaching programme,

structured questionnaire and observation check list to assess the knowledge and practice

of house wives regarding house hold waste management. Following this, structured

questionnaire and observation check list is used to assess the awareness regarding

knowledge and practice carried out by house wives on house hold waste management.

Process: After the input is absorbed by the system, it is processed in a way useful to the

system. In this study, it refers to the administration of structured teaching programme on

knowledge and practice of household waste management for women. In order to achieve

the desired output, i.e., to increase the knowledge and practice of the women.

11

Output: It refers to energy, matter or information disposed of by the system as a result of

its process. In the present study, Using the same structured questionnaire and observation

check list, the knowledge and practice of women will be reassessed.

This is assessed through a comparison between the pre-test and post-test knowledge and

practice score of the subjects.

Feedback: It is the process that enables a system to regulate itself and provides

information about the system’s output and its feedback as input. In this study, it refers to

the changes of knowledge and practice of household waste management in women. The

higher knowledge and practice scores obtained by the women in the post-test indicate that

the structured teaching programme was effective in increasing the knowledge. A low

score in post-test indicates that the structured teaching programme was not effective and

alternative measures may be needed to improve knowledge50.

This chapter dealt with the introduction about the study, background of the study,

need and significance, statement of the problem objectives, Operational definition,

hypothesis, and theoretical framework.

12

Figure 1: Conceptual framework based on systems theory (LudwingVon Bertalanffy, 1968)

13

CHAPTER 2

Review of literature

Household waste and sources.

Health and environmental problems due to household waste.

Household waste management.

Knowledge and practice on household waste management.

Intervention for household waste management.

14

CHAPTER 2

Review of literature

Introduction

Review of literature is an important step in the development of a research project.

A literature is a compilation of resources that provides the groundwork for the study.

The researcher carried out an extensive review of literature on the research topic

in order to gain deeper insight into the problem and to collect maximum relevant

information for building up the study in an organized manner so as to achieve the desired

results.

The literature review that was undertaken for the purpose of conducting this study

has been presented under the following headings:

1. Household waste and sources.

2. Health and environmental problems due to household waste.

3. Household waste management.

4. Knowledge and practice on household waste management.

5. Intervention for household waste management.

1. Household waste and sources

Disposal of waste is a major problem nowadays. Improper waste disposal

causes many health problems which can even be life threatening. Whereas, if wastes are

treated properly it can avoid the nuisance to the society as well as it can be used for

varied purposes like, making fertilizers, biogas, manures etc.

15

Definition

Waste: Waste or refuse is an unwanted left over substance that have been discarded or

thrown away after domestic use.

Type of wastes:

Solid wastes: It include wastes such as home sweepings, ash, fruits, vegetables, and their

peelings, packing materials, rags, glass, metal parts, empty bottles(plastic and tin),

electric goods, leaves, plastic containers, bags etc.

Liquid wastes: This include house hold contaminated water from kitchen, bathrooms etc.

Excreta wastes: This include wastes of occupants and animal

Storage:

The first consideration should be given to the proper storage of refuse, while

awaiting collection. The galvanized steel dust bin with close fitting cover is a suitable

receptacle for storing refuse. The capacity of a bin will depend upon the number of users

and frequency of collection. The stored refuses should be disposed daily1.

In natural systems, there is no such thing as waste. Everything flows in a natural

cycle of use and reuse. Living organisms consume materials and eventually return them

to the environment, usually in a different form, for reuse. Solid waste (or trash) is a

human concept. It refers to a variety of discarded materials, not liquid or gas that is

deemed useless or worthless. However, what is worthless to one person may be of value

to someone else, and solid wastes can be considered to be misplaced resources. Learning

effective ways to reduce the amount of wastes produced and to recycle valuable resources

contained in the wastes is important if humans wish to maintain a livable and sustainable

environment.17

16

A study on analysis of collection systems for sorted household waste in Spain

analyses the separate collection systems used in Spanish towns with between 5000 and

50,000 inhabitants. The study looks at the systems and their efficiency by means of the

indicators fractioning rate, quality in container rate and separation rate. The results

obtained are compared with those from a similar study conducted earlier that was applied

to towns and cities with populations over 50,000. It can be concluded that the most

widely implemented system in Spain involves the collection of mixed waste from

kerbside bins and picking up paper/cardboard, glass and lightweight packaging from

drop-off points. Findings showed that the best system is the one that collects mixed

waste, organic material and multiproduct waste door-to-door, and glass from drop-off

points. The indicator separation rate made it possible to establish beta regression models

to analyzed the influence of the following logistic variables: inhabitants per point

(people/pt), time (years) and frequency of collection (freq). From these models it can be

seen that people/pt has a negative effect on all the fractions, while freq and years have a

positive effect in the case of paper18.

A survey to find out the results and experiences of sampling

household waste at the source of generation in Gaborone, Botswana. The survey covered

47 households with different socio-economic characteristics over 21 days with 893

samples obtained. The results showed that the average waste generation rate for

Gaborone was 0.33 kg capita (-1) day (-1). Contrary to common belief, the waste

generation rate measured as in weight units was found not be directly related to

household income. However, the packaging fractions of plastic and paper measured as

volume had a direct relationship with household income. Across all income groups, the

17

putrescible waste fraction constituted the highest proportion of the waste stream at

approximately 68%. The main general conclusion is on the importance of practical

considerations. 19

A survey conducted to assess the composition and generation of household wastes

in Beijing, China. Sample communities were selected by the integration of five indices

including family population, income, age, and education. Wastes were sampled on a daily

basis from 113 households in six different districts of Beijing City for ten days. The

results showed that the generation rate of household wastes was 0.23 kg/pers/day.

Household waste consisted of kitchen waste, paper/cardboard, plastics, textiles, metals,

glass and other wastes, the proportion of each waste was approximately 69.3%, 10.3%,

9.8%, 1.3%, 0.8%, 0.6% and 2.7%, respectively. An evaluation of the relationship

between daily per capita generation of household waste and socio-economic factors

indicated that household size and income both showed a negative relationship with

household waste generation (kg/pers/day). As for the effect of education, families with a

secondary educational level produced fewer household wastes (kg/pers/day) than those

with a primary or advanced educational level.20

Based on an overview of waste disposal in Asian countries states that the annual

waste generation increases in proportion to the rises in population and urbanization.

Asian countries with greater rural populations produce more organic waste, such as

kitchen wastes, and fewer recyclable items, such as paper, metals, and plastics. They

suggest that a better classification system for landfills is needed to address

inconsistencies in data for sanitary landfill sites versus waste dumps.21

18

The composition of household waste in Greenland was investigated for the first

time. About 2 tonnes of household waste was sampled as every 7th bag collected during 1

week along the scheduled collection routes in Sisimiut, the second largest town in

Greenland with about 5400 inhabitants. The household waste composition consisted

primarily of bio-waste (43%) and the combustible fraction (30%), including anything

combustible that did not belong to other clean fractions as paper, cardboard and plastic.

Paper 8% (dominated by magazine type paper) and glass (7%) were other important

material fractions of the household waste. The remaining approximately 10% constituted

of steel (1.5%), aluminum (0.5%), plastic (2.4%), wood (1.0%), non-combustible waste

(1.8%) and household hazardous waste (1.2%). The high content of bio waste and the low

content of paper make Greenlandic waste much different from Danish household waste.

The moisture content, calorific value and chemical composition (55 elements, of which

22 were below detection limits) were determined for each material fraction. These

characteristics were similar to what has been found for material fractions in Danish

household waste. The chemical composition and the calorific value of the plastic fraction

revealed that this fraction was not clean but contained a lot of bio-waste. The established

waste composition is useful in assessing alternative waste management schemes for

household waste in Greenland.22

Bio-waste makes up almost half portion of municipal solid waste. The

characterization of household bio-waste is important in determining the most appropriate

treatment method. The differences in composition and parameters of bio-waste derived

from urban settlement (U-bio-waste) and family houses (F-bio-waste) during the four

climate seasons are described in this paper. Twelve components and 20 parameters for

19

bio-waste were evaluated. The composition of U-bio-waste was almost steady over those

seasons, unlike F-bio-waste. U-bio-waste was comprised mainly (58.2%) of fruit and

vegetable debris. F-bio-waste was primarily made up of seasonal garden components.

The amount of variation among seasons in both type of bio-waste increased in sequence:

basic parameters<macro-elements<potentially toxic elements.23

A study was undertaken to assess the quantity and composition of household

solid waste, especially plastic waste to identify opportunities for waste recycling.

A 1-month survey of 130 households was carried out in Can Tho City ,the capital city of

the Mekong Delta region in southern Vietnam. The average household solid waste

generation rate was 281.27 g/cap/day. The compostable and recyclable shares

respectively accounted for high percentage as80.74% and 11%. Regarding plastic waste,

the average plastic waste generation rate was 17.24 g/cap/day; plastic packaging and

plastic containers dominated with the high percentage, 95.64% of plastic waste. Plastic

shopping bags were especially identified as the major component, accounting for 45.72%

of total plastic waste. Relevant factors such as household income and household size

were found to have an existing correlation to plastic waste generation in detailed

composition.24

This paper presents one strand of the findings from a comprehensive synthesis

review of policy-relevant evidence on household waste prevention. Understanding what

is achievable in terms of local household waste prevention intervention campaigns

enables policy makers, local authorities and practitioners to identify optimum approaches

to deliver effective behaviour change. Waste prevention measures adopted include home

composting, reducing food waste, smart shopping, donating items for reuse, small

20

changes in the home, reducing junk mainland using cloth/reusable nappies. In terms of

diverting biodegradable municipal waste from landfill, the biggest impacts can be

attributed to food waste prevention (1.5kg) household (-1) week (-1)) and home

composting (2.9kg) household (-1) week (-1)). Projects providing a package of other

waste prevention interventions have shown a very wide range of impacts: a broad

indication is that such a package could achieve around 0.5 to 1 kg household (-1)

week (- 1) reduction at source. Disaggregating which waste prevention measures

influenced uptake is generally not possible, but the evidence suggests that this does not

matter behavior change has been supported by integrating a range of intervention tools

and campaign promotions which have made a collective rather than isolated difference.25

A study conducted to assess the experiences and practices of household waste

management of people in a barangay (village) in Manila, Philippines by using an open

ended interview with household members. Interviews were also conducted with garbage

collectors as well as scavengers. Results showed that the households generated an

average of 3.2 kg of solid waste per day, or 0.50 kg/capita/day. The types of wastes

commonly generated are food/kitchen wastes, papers, PET bottles, metals, and cans,

boxes/cartons, glass bottles, cellophane/plastics, and yard/garden wastes. The respondents

segregate their wastes into PET bottles, glass bottles, and other waste (mixed wastes). No

respondents perform composting. The households rely on garbage collection by the

government. Collection is done twice daily, except Sundays, and household members

bring their garbage when the garbage truck arrives. However, there are those who dump

their garbage in non-designated pick-up points, usually in a corner of the street. The

dumped garbage becomes a breeding ground for disease-causing organisms. Some

21

household respondents said that it is possible that the dumping in certain areas caused the

dengue fever suffered by some of their family members. Mothers and household helpers

are responsible for household waste management. Scavengers generally look for

recyclable items in the dumped garbage. All of them said that it is their only source of

income, which is generally not enough for their meals. They are also aware that their

work affects their health. Most of the respondents said that garbage collection and

disposal is the responsibility of the government.26

2) Health and environmental problems due to household waste.

Health hazards due to improper waste management:

Solid waste, if allowed to accumulate, is a health hazard because:

It decomposes and favors fly breeding.

It attracts rodents and vermin

The pathogens which may be present in the solid waste may be conveyed back to

man's food through flies and dust.

There is a possibility of water and soil pollution, and heaps of refuse present an

unsightly appearance and nuisance from bad odors.

Health problems:

Malaria

Dengue fever

Typhoid

Chickenguniya

Dysentery

Cholera

Plague

Hepatitis

Cancer

Scabies

Diarrhea

Tetanus

Filarial

Viral fever

Conjunctivitis

22

A symptom prevalence survey conducted to assess the health problems of the

residents of a neighborhood contaminated by hazardous waste facility in Boston. The

results revealed that the exposed group had more self-reported complaints referable to the

respiratory system (wheezing, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, persistent colds,

coughs), constitutional complaints (always fatigued, bowel dysfunction), and irregular

heartbeat. There was a biological gradient for several of these effects. The results suggest

either that the general population reacts to chemicals at levels much lower than the

available occupational literature would indicate or that the effects are more long lasting

than previously thought.27

A study in the Sao Paulo city of Brazil to examine environmental problems at the

household and neighborhood levels and the respondents' perceptions with regard to the

nature and cause of these problems and the best means for their resolution. The study

findings was based on the 1000 surveys from the samples who were the representative of

six socioeconomic strata (so that findings from high, middle and low-income households

could be compared) and of different spatial locations. The paper reveals in detail the

environmental problems and household perceptions that vary most and least between

strata and suggests new bases for action in which both government agencies and citizens

share responsibility.28

A study about the informal recycling and occupational health in Santo Andre,

Brazil. An in-depth socio-economic survey of 48 informal waste collectors suggested that

almost all workers reported body pain or soreness in the back, legs, shoulders, and arms.

Injuries, particularly involving the hands, are frequent. Flu and bronchitis are common,

and one recycler had contracted Hepatitis-B. Policy makers at all government levels need

23

to address the pressing health issues affecting large numbers of informal recyclers in

Brazil and abroad.29

A study on women’s management of the household health environment:

responding to childhood diarrhea in northern areas of Pakistan. It draws upon qualitative

data obtained from 65 in-depth interviews and other ethnographic field methods. The

analysis shows that respondents were familiar with diarrhea control interventions carried

out in the study site, and associated childhood diarrhea with oral–fecal transmission

routes such as poor water quality, unhygienic behaviors, contaminated food, and

inadequate sanitation practices. Findings also demonstrate the continuance of long-

established cultural patterns of perception and behavior with regard to childhood diarrhea

and the influence of socio-economic constraints to instituting new management

practices.30

A descriptive survey design was conducted on problems of household disposal in

Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. By multi-stage stratified random sampling, one hundred

and eight female respondents were selected. Both the primary and secondary data were

collected. The primary data were collected with the help of structured and pre-tested

interview schedule through personal interview method. The result showed that a few

respondents (nearly 29%) considered the improper disposal of garbage as a cause of

disease. The separation of waste before disposing was done only by 33.9%.31

Solid waste management (SWM) includes all activities that seek to minimize

health, environmental, and aesthetic impacts of solid waste. When the waste is not

properly handled, stored, collected and disposed off, then it leads to have effect on

24

environment (aesthetic, water pollution and air pollution) as well as human life (Cholera,

Malaria, Fever, Diarrhoea, and Tetanus).32

The Household Waste management promotes the safe use, storage and

disposal of hazardous materials by educating consumers to identify and avoid potentially

hazardous products. Buy only what is needed, use it up completely or share leftovers with

someone who can use it recycle those materials that can be recycled, and dispose of

leftover or unwanted products through hazardous waste collection facilities. Studies

indicate that on an average, each person in urban area produces half a kilogram of

garbage each day. Ten percent of Indians live in urban areas. This calculates to more than

20 million tonnes of garbage each year in cities alone! This garbage takes up precious

land and is a major source of disease. Just a few kilos of putrid garbage can cause a

dangerous disease epidemic.40

A study on examined and reported household-level waste management and

disposal practices in the Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana revealed that because of the

solid waste infrastructure is inadequate, over 80 percent of the populations do not have

home collection services. Only 13.5 percent of respondents are served with door-to-door

collection of solid waste, while the rest dispose of their waste at communal collection

points, in open spaces, and in waterways. Waste storage in the home is associated with

the presence of houseflies in the kitchen (r = .17, p < .0001). The presence of houseflies

in the kitchen during cooking is correlated with the incidence of childhood diarrhea (r

= .36, p< .0001). Inadequate solid waste facilities result in indiscriminate burning and

burying of solid waste. There is an association between waste burning and the incidence

of respiratory health symptoms among adults (r =.25, p<.0001) and children (r=.22, p

25

< .05). Poor handling and disposal of waste are major causes of environmental pollution,

which creates breeding grounds for pathogenic organisms, and the spread of infectious

diseases. Improving access to solid waste collection facilities and services will help

achieve sound environmental health in Accra.45

3) Household waste management

Part of living in a home is producing waste. It's unavoidable and often a hassle,

especially if your home design doesn't create a streamlined process for getting this waste

out of your home. Home waste management isn't one thing or one habit, but a set of

home installations and diligence that aims to keep your home beautiful and protect the

environment without spending hours and hours each week on a seemingly endless list of

tedious chores.

Methods of disposal: There is no single method of refuse disposal which is equally

suitable in all circumstances. The choice of a particular method is governed by local

factors such as cost and availability of land and labor. The principal methods of refuse

disposal are:-

Dumping

Burning

Composting

Manure pits

Burial.

Feeding the animals

Closed drainage system

26

Waste management is the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal,

and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by

human activity, and is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the

environment or aesthetics. Waste management is also carried out to recover resources

from it. Waste management can involve solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive substances,

with different methods and fields of expertise for each1.

Waste management practices differ for developed and developing nations, for

urban and rural areas, and for residential and industrial producers. Management for non-

hazardous waste residential and institutional waste in metropolitan areas is usually the

responsibility of local government authorities, while management for non-hazardous

commercial and industrial waste is usually the responsibility of the generator.33

A study to assess the public involvement in solid waste management in

Himalayan trials in and around the Valley of Flowers, India. Since visitors and stall

keepers are the major contributory participatory groups in generating and causing

primarily solid waste problems, they were studied in detail. The local villagers as a host

community by means of participatory interactions and meetings were assessed as an

important participatory group along with assessments of their other problems. Three

hundred and fifty one visitors and 40% of the stall keepers were thoroughly interviewed.

Based on average results, some of the practical but small recovery packages of SWM

options such as reuse and recycling were suggested to eliminate the problem completely

from the religious–tourist sites in the Himalayas or from other similar mountain regions

of the world.34

27

The wastes may pose a potential hazard to the human health or the environment

(soil, air, water) when improperly treated, stored, transported or disposed of or managed

in the light of a study conducted on the effect of hazardous wastes : its impact on health

and environment for development of better waste management strategies in future in

India. Currently in India even though hazardous wastes, emanations and effluents are

regulated, solid wastes often are disposed of indiscriminately posing health and

environmental risk. In view of this, management of hazardous wastes including their

disposal in environment friendly and economically viable way is very important and

therefore suggestions are made for developing better strategies. The study outlines the

nature of the wastes, waste generating industries, waste characterization, health and

environmental implications of waste management practices, steps towards planning,

design and development of models for effective hazardous waste management, treatment,

approaches and regulations for disposal of hazardous waste.35

A study on household waste disposal in Mekelle city, Northern Ethiopia.

Revealed that demographic features such as age, education and household size have an

insignificant impact over the choice of alternative waste disposal means, whereas the

supply of waste facilities significantly affects waste disposal choice. Inadequate supply of

waste containers and longer distance to these containers increase the probability of waste

dumping in open areas and roadsides relative to the use of communal containers. Higher

household income decreases the probability of using open areas and roadsides as waste

destinations relative to communal containers.36

A study to analyze the waste disposal, recycling and composting in a municipality

in southwest Sweden. This study had access to actual measured data on waste disposal at

28

the household level for a residential area called Tvååker, in addition to survey data for the

same households. The main finding is that economic incentives, although important, are

not the only driving force behind the observed reduction in municipal waste: Given the

proper infrastructure that facilitates recycling, people are willing to invest more time than

can be motivated purely by savings on their waste management bill.37

A case study about the effectiveness of the Urban Environmental Management

Project in the Côte d'Ivoire, Florida in which groups of young entrepreneurs were trained

to collect household solid waste in small cities of 20,000–50,000 inhabitants located

outside the capital region. The project was a joint collaboration of the US Peace Corps

and the Ministries of Interior and Health in the Côte d'Ivoire. This project demonstrates

the potential for innovative arrangements at lower levels of the urban hierarchy. The

study also emphasizes the importance of formalizing public-private institutional

arrangements in order to ensure their long term sustainability.38

A study to assess the Municipal solid waste management in Indian cities. This

study has been carried out to evaluate the current status and identify the major problems.

Various adopted treatment technologies for Municipal solid waste management are

critically reviewed, along with their advantages and limitations. The study is concluded

with a few fruitful suggestions, which may be beneficial to encourage the competent

authorities/researchers to work towards further improvement of the present system.39

Three R s is used for effective waste management R's (reduce, reuse, recycle), but

this hardly encapsulates effective home waste management. More than just good habits,

think about installing and maintaining appliances such as garbage disposals and

residential trash compactors that will reduce your trash load. Compost your outdoor trash

29

and, even some indoor trash, such as non-animal kitchen scraps and paper. With worms,

as odd as it sounds, you can even compost indoors with virtually no residual odours.

Home composting helps to keep the high volume of organic material out of

landfills and turns it into a useful product. On-site composting reduces the cost of hauling

materials and is generally exempted from solid waste regulations. Large scale facilities

can handle more material and potentially produce a more consistent product,

Composting, nature's own way of recycling, is the controlled decomposition of organic

material such as leaves, twigs, grass clippings, and vegetable food waste. Compost is the

soil amendment product that results from proper composting.41

The documented experiences and practices of household waste management of

people in Abarangay (village) in Manila, Philippines. The data were gathered through an

interview with household members using open-ended questions. Interviews were also

conducted with garbage collectors as well as scavengers. Results showed that the

households generated an average of 3.2 kg of solid waste per day, or 0.50 kg/capita/day.

The types of wastes commonly generated are food/kitchen wastes, papers, PET bottles,

metals, and cans, boxes/cartons, glass bottles, cellophane/plastics, and yard/garden

wastes. Some household respondents said that it is possible that the dumping in certain

areas caused the dengue fever suffered by some of their family members. Most of the

respondents said that garbage collection and disposal is the responsibility of the

government. The results of the study showed that RA 9003, also known as the Ecological

Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, is not fully implemented in Metro Manila.42

A household survey was conducted in Mekelle (Ethiopia) to assess the effects

of demographic factors, economic and social status, and waste and environmental

30

attributes on household solid waste disposal. Household solid waste disposal is

investigated using data from Household level data and is then analyzed using

multinomial logit estimation to determine the factors that affect household waste disposal

decision making. Results showed that demographic features such as age, education and

household size have an insignificant impact over the choice of alternative waste disposal

means, whereas the supply of waste facilities significantly affects waste disposal choice.

Inadequate supply of waste containers and longer distance to these containers increase the

probability of waste dumping in open areas and roadsides in relative to the use of

communal containers. Higher household income decreases the probability of using open

areas and roadsides as waste destinations relative to Communal containers.43

A direct analysis study amount of household hazardous waste (HHW) disposed

of in the United Kingdom (UK) out in three areas in southeast England involving over

500 households. Each participating householder was provided with a special bin in which

to place items corresponding to a list of HHW. The amount of waste collected was split

into nine broad categories: batteries, home maintenance (DIY), vehicle upkeep,

pesticides, pet care, pharmaceuticals, photographic chemicals, household cleaners, and

printer cartridges. Over 1 tons of waste was collected from the sample households over a

32-week period, which would correspond to an estimated 51,000 tons if extrapolated to

the UK population for the same period or over 7,000 tons per month. Details of likely

disposal routes adopted by householders were also sought, demonstrating the different

pathways selected for different waste categories. Co-disposal with residual household

waste dominated for waste batteries and veterinary medicine. 44

31

A study to assess the current practices and perceptions of domestic

and personal hygiene in Indian communities revealed that problems of the environment

and of domestic hygiene are always related to poverty of population and the sanitation of

settlements. Most cities and towns in developing countries, like India, are characterized

by over-crowding, congestion, inadequate water supply and inadequate facilities of

disposal of human excreta, waste water and solid wastes. Personal and domestic hygiene

practices cannot be improved without improving basic amenities, such as water supply,

waste water disposal, solid waste management and the problems of human settlements..

There is a reluctance to acknowledge the home as a setting of equal importance along

with the public institutions in the chain of disease transmission in the community.

Managers of home hygiene and community hygiene must act in unison to optimize return

from efforts to promote public health.46

When planning for a new urban settlement, industrial ecology tools like

scenario building and life cycle assessment can be used to assess the environmental

quality of different infrastructure solutions. In Trondheim, a new Greenfield settlement

with carbon-neutral ambitions is being planned and five different scenarios for the waste

management system of the new settlement have been compared. The results show small

differences among the scenarios, however, some benefits from increased source

separation of paper and metal could be found. The settlement should connect to the

existing waste management system of the city, and not resort to decentralized waste

treatment or recovery methods. However, as this is an urban development project with

ambitious goals for lifestyle changes, effort should be put into research and initiatives for

proactive waste prevention.47

32

In most developing countries public-private sector partnership is becoming

increasingly applied in household waste management service delivery especially in urban

areas to reduce cost and improve effectiveness. This paper reports a study of

householders' perceptions of public-private sector partnership in provision of household

waste management services in Ilorin, south-west Nigeria. A multistage random sampling

technique was used to select 224 households for the study. The results showed that most

of the respondents were of the opinion that the public-private partnership has not been

able to improve household waste management services. Time taken to visit solid waste

collection point, income and marital status negatively influenced their perceptions, while

activities of sanitary inspectors, occupation and gender had positive influence. The

public-private partnership will be more effective and sustainable if the public sector could

pay more attention to performance monitoring and accountability.48

A literature review was undertaken to evaluate the informal waste management

system and formal waste management system in Nigeria and other developing countries

with similar settings. Nine databases were searched and 34 studies met the following

inclusion criteria: evaluation of the role of informal waste collectors, recycling and solid

waste management in developing countries. Most of the evaluated studies (97%, n = 33)

acknowledged the significant environmental and socio-economic roles played by the

informal waste collectors and scavengers in developing countries. The studies identified

the following as barriers to inclusive waste management in Nigeria: repressive policy,

unhygienic waste collection methods, lack of evidence to support activity, and low

quality and quantity of secondary materials.49

A study undertaken to evaluate the quantity and composition of household

33

Solid waste to identify opportunities for waste recycling in Can Tho city, the capital city

of the Mekong Delta region in southern Vietnam. Household solid waste was collected

from each household and classified into 10 physical categories and 83 subcategories. The

average household solid waste generation rate was 285.28 g per capita per day. The

compostable and recyclable shares respectively accounted for 80.02% and 11.73%. The

household solid waste generation rate per capita per day was positively correlated with

the population density and urbanization level, although it was negatively correlated with

the household size.50

This paper presents one strand of the findings from a comprehensive synthesis

review of the policy-relevant evidence on household waste prevention. The focus here is

on how to measure waste prevention: it is always difficult to measure what is not there.

The evidence reveals a range of methods for monitoring and evaluation, including self-

weighing; pre- and post-intervention surveys, focusing on attitudes and behaviours and/or

on participation rates; tracking waste arising via collection data and/or compositional

analysis; and estimation/modeling. There appears to be an emerging consensus that no

single approach is sufficient on its own, rather a 'hybrid' method using a suite of

monitoring approaches - usually including surveys, waste tonnage data and monitoring of

campaigns - is recommended.51

This paper reports a synthesis of policy-relevant evidence on household waste

prevention, based on a UK portfolio of primary research and a broad international review.

Waste prevention was defined as strict avoidance, reduction at source(e.g. home

composting) and reuse (for the product's original purpose) – recycling was excluded.

Waste prevention is not one but many behaviours; the review revealed a general

34

hierarchy in their popularity, from donating goods to charity at the top; through small

reuse behaviours around the home; to activities involving changes in consumption habits

at the bottom;one estimate is that 60% of the public does at least one of these

activities,some of the time. The public can be engaged through local or national

campaigns, with a wide range of interventions and communications approaches available.

The main opportunities are to ensure more strategic planning for reuse by local

authorities and better co-ordination and joint working with the third sector.52

A case study conducted to understand how recycling programmes affect the

quantity of waste and sorting activities in Sweden. A set of waste flow indicators is

proposed, which together with generic system descriptions can facilitate comparisons of

different collections systems. The evaluation of collection systems depends on the system

boundaries and will always be site-specific to some degree. Various factors are relevant,

e.g. environmental objectives, technical function, operating costs, types of recyclable

materials collected separately, property-close collection or drop-off systems, economic

incentives, information strategies, residential structure, social codes, etc. Kerb side

collection of recyclables and weight-based billing led to increased waste sorting activities

in the case study.53

Waste legislation in the United Kingdom (UK) implements European Union

(EU)Directives and Regulations. However, the term used to refer to hazardous waste

generated in household or municipal situations, household hazardous waste (HHW), does

not occur in UK, or EU, legislation. The EU's Hazardous Waste Directive and European

Waste Catalogue are the principal legislation influencing HHW, although the waste

categories described are difficult to interpret. Other legislation also have impacts on

35

HHW definition and disposal, some of which will alter current HHW disposal practices,

leading to a variety of potential consequences. This paper discusses the issues affecting

the management of HHW in the UK, including the apparent absence of a HHW-specific

regulatory structure. Policy and regulatory measures that influence HHW management

before disposal and after disposal are considered, with particular emphasis placed on

disposal to landfill.54

4) Knowledge and practice on household waste management

A study on secondary school students’ understanding and practices on waste

management, examined the level of awareness, knowledge and practices of secondary

schools students with regard to waste management, using a structured, self-administered

questionnaire, 650 students were surveyed from six secondary schools. Findings revealed

that secondary school students from the sampled zones were aware of waste problems on

their school compounds, but possessed poor waste management practices. The study

showed that propensity for waste management practices differ by sex, class and age of

students. Significant relationships were observed between student’s sex, age and class

and their level of awareness, knowledge and practices of waste management.55

A study on Knowledge, Attitude and Practices regarding Waste Management in

Selected Hostel Students, The study was conducted aiming to find knowledge attitude

and practices of University students with respect to waste management. Total 300

students were included in this study. Data collected by self-administered questionnaire,

results revealed that knowledge attitude and practices of University students regarding

waste management was low, less favorable and moderate respectively and correlation

36

between knowledge and attitude, attitude and practices was not found, but significant

correlation was found between knowledge and practices.56

A study on knowledge and attitude of general population regarding waste

management, results shows that, sanitary and environmental conditions are deplorable,

Surveyors estimated that 50 percent of the population understood proper solid waste

management practices, as well as the environmental and health problems associated with

improper management of solid waste.57

A study on Residents Knowledge, Behaviour and Practices of Municipal Solid

Waste Management, Results shows that household waste management practices may be

influenced by the person who handles the waste. In Chennai one fourth households’

maids dispose the household waste in the bin, Most of the residents in both the cities

were using the dustbin or some container for waste collection as was the case with most

of the Indian but dustbin was covered in 1/3rdof the household’s only.58

A study on waste management awareness, knowledge, and practices of secondary

school teachers, knowledge and practice questionnaire was administered on 240 teachers,

The results showed that teachers are aware and knowledgeable about waste management

in their schools. However, they possess negative waste management practices. Significant

differences were found in teachers’ sex, age, educational qualification, teaching

experience, subject of specialization and their knowledge and practice of waste

management. According to sex, class taught, and school location. Sex, age, subject

specialization, class taught, school location and educational qualification were found to

be related to teachers waste management practices.59

37

In order to characterize household waste management system in Mashad

(Northeastof Iran) and evaluate factors which effect on demand for waste collecting

services, a field survey was conducted. One hundred ninty eight families were selected

according to classified randomized sampling system and data on their socio-economic

characters including home area, type (apartment versus other types) and tenure (private

versus rental), education, separating solid and organic wastes, family size and income

were gathered using questionnaires and direct interview. Results showed that three

variables including staying at home during day, home type and family size explained

21% of variations of demand for waste collecting services. The study emphasized on

components of pricing and economic motivations as well as education and socio-

economic factors for decreasing of household waste production.60

It is a challenge to reduce the ever-increasing flow of waste. In Norway the

systems for recycling of organic waste, paper, glass, metals, etc. differ between

municipalities, both with regard to organizational and to technological structures.

People's behaviour and attitudes regarding (organic) waste recycling were investigated in

two municipalities with differing technical and organizational systems. Data came from

interviews with municipal employees, questionnaires, focus groups and multi-criteria

mapping. People seem to be better informed and more positive about organic waste

recycling in one of the municipalities (MH, which has recycling of organic waste) than in

the other (MS, which has no such recycling). The institutional context seems to be

important for people's behaviour and attitudes towards waste management. This implies

that people's recycling behaviour does not only depend on technical and organizational

aspects, but also on institutions. On an individual basis, the different systems in the two

38

municipalities seem to affect people's stated attitudes. These differences diminish when

they are in a common setting where process and dialogue stimulate new thoughts and

encourage people to act more altruistically.61

A study conducted to investigate per capita waste generation by residents, its

composition, and the households' attitudes towards waste management at Rahman Nagar

Residential Area, Chittagong, Bangladesh. The study involved a structured questionnaire

and encompassed 75households from five different socioeconomic groups (SEGs): low

(LSEG), lower middle (LMSEG), middle (MSEG), upper middle (UMSEG) and high

(HSEG). Wastes, collected from all of the groups of households, were segregated and

weighed. Waste generation was 1.3 kg/household/day and 0.25 kg/person/day. Household

solid waste (HSW) was comprised of nine categories of wastes with vegetable/food waste

being the largest component (62%). Vegetable/food waste generation increased from the

HSEG (47%) to the LSEG (88%). By weight, 66% of the waste was compostable in

nature. The generation of HSW was positively correlated with family size (rxy=0.236,

p<0.05), education level (r xy=0.244, p<0.05) and monthly income (rxy=0.671, p<0.01)

of the households. This study adequately shows that household solid waste can be

converted from burden to resource through segregation at the source, since people are

aware of their role in this direction provided a mechanism to assist them in this pursuit

exists and the burden is distributed according to the amount of waste generated.62

A questionnaire survey was conducted in 2002 on 1365 households in two

prefectural-level cities in the Pearl River Delta, Jiangmen and Zhongshan. Three groups

of issues are covered in this paper: 1) waste management literacy,concerns, and public

participation; 2) waste recycling practices and the potential for waste avoidance; and 3)

39

public environmental literacy. Data from the previous and the present studies indicate

that such voluntary but largely economically driven waste recovery behavior diverts at

least 10% of the household waste from the waste stream. Education and income levels are

the chief factors affecting littering behavior and the potential for waste avoidance.

Contrary to general belief, the local Chinese community is active in microwaste

management.63

A study on awareness among urban inhabitants about waste management and its

impact on environment was conducted. One hundred and fifty mothers of Punjab were

randomly selected to identify their waste management practices. The data were collected

through personal interview in which satisfaction from existing waste disposal facilities,

perceived effect on health and environment were studied. The result revealed that in 26%

families, children were throwing waste here and there, 18.6% households foul smelled

from the waste and 14. 6% families did not clean bins regularly. Most respondents were

aware of adverse effect of waste material on environment. Majority of the respondents

(83.2%) were aware about Malaria. 65.3% reported most annoying problem was

accumulated waste in the streets. 86% respondent thought waste disposal was a problem64

A study was conducted to identify the city resident’s current attitude and

behaviour related to waste revealed that most perceived garbage as a big problem but

there was little awareness on the ways one could contribute to solve it.65

Another study on randomly selected six hundred and sixty two subjects, from

the four socio-economic groups within the area to detect real differences in knowledge,

attitudes and practices with respect to proper solid waste management. The main tool was

a standardized questionnaire in which necessary revisions were made. Result revealed

40

that 83% of those interviewed knew the meaning of the term ‘solid waste’. Only 8% of

the residential houses were found to separate the waste. Approximately, 88.6% of those

interviewed knew at least one environmental problem attributable to improper

management of solid waste. 47% of the respondent stated that uncontrolled heaps of

waste posed a health hazard. 40%, 27% and 18% of the respondent were aware that

improper management of waste causes air pollution, water pollution and land pollution

respectively. 90% of the time, they discard waste indiscriminately.66

Another study on perception on effect of environmental pollutants (polluted air,

polluted water and solid waste) on health in Hyderabad city of Andhra Pradesh. 520

respondents were selected by random sampling method. A structured questionnaire was

developed to collect data. Questions were focussed on improper disposal of solid waste.

Both initial response and response after probing were recorded. The result indicated that

162(31.2%) were illiterate and 358(68.2%) were literates among the respondents, in

which only 28.3% were initially aware of the ill effects of the improper disposal of solid

waste.67

5) Intervention for household waste management.

In another study, a planned teaching programme on environmental health for 54

Anganwadi teachers was conducted, using convenience sampling technique from Udupi

district of Karnataka. The research design was an evaluator approach with one group pre-

test post-test pre-experimental design. Data collection instruments were developed.

Reliability of structured knowledge questionnaire was 0.9. In the pre-test, 32% had good

level of knowledge and 68% had average level of knowledge. In the post-test score,

100% had good level of knowledge.68

41

A study conducted to analyze the information of people possess in relation to

hazardous waste and to the use of available equipment, and conducting a post-evaluation

of the effectiveness of an environmental communication campaign conducted by the

Madrid City Council and aimed at providing awareness of the existence of new fixed

recycling centers (FRC) and mobile recycling centers (MRC). Qualitative data was

categorized using content analysis followed by chi-squared tests, considering some socio-

demographic characteristics of the sample, such as age or place of residence (district).

Communication campaigns influenced citizen awareness of what constituted hazardous

waste, of how to properly separate waste and of the existence of FRCs and MRCs.

However, few citizens actually used FRCs or MRC (18% across four districts), a fact that

might be related to a lack of knowledge of downstream waste treatment issues, or to self-

limiting hindrances to householders, such as distance to recycling centers.69

Open burning for waste disposal is, in many countries, the dominant source of

Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, dibenzofurans and biphenyls (PCDD/PCDF/PCB)

release to the environment. To generate emission factors for open burning, experimental

pile burns of about 100 kg of household waste were conducted with emissions sampling.

From these experiments and others conducted by the same authors it is found that less

compaction of waste or active mixing during the fire--"stirring"--promotes better

combustion (as evidenced by lower CO/CO(2) ratio) and reduces emissions of

PCDD/PCDF/PCB; an intuitive but previously undemonstrated result. These experiments

also support previous results suggesting PCDD/PCDF/PCB generation in open burning -

while still highly variable - tends to be greater in the later (smoldering) phases of burning

when the CO/CO(2) ratio increases.70

42

A system with property-close source-separation of thirteen different solid

household waste fractions in a residential area in southern Sweden, including the

implementation of new systems for source-separation of food waste, waste electric and

electronic equipment, hazardous waste and fat, oils and grease was monitored over a 2-

year period. Continuous weighing of disposed waste and repeated waste composting

analyses were used to investigate recycling behaviour of households in the area and to

monitor the composition of disposed waste. Results show that 34% of the total amount of

generated waste was currently diverted to material recycling. The removal of recyclables

from residual waste could be significantly increased, as more than 80% of all waste in the

area (bulky waste excluded) was either covered by the Producer Responsibility

Ordinances on packaging and newspaper or constitutes food waste suitable for biogas

production. Food waste still represented almost 30% of all residual waste in the study

area and was thus the fraction with the greatest potential (on weight basis) for increased

source-separation.71

The hypothesis of this research was that attitudes about the management of

Bio-degradable municipal waste (BMW) are spatially variable, even within a city of

modest (1.2 million) population. For a select number of representative electoral districts

in the Dublin, Ireland region, residents were surveyed regarding attitudes towards waste

management in general and BMW management in particular. A total of 850 survey

responses were collected. Door-to-door interviews produced 688 responses in the

residential sector; these were supplemented by 162 responses to a web-based survey. The

surveys revealed that the majority of households use local authority, rather than private,

waste collection services (both are available). The majority of residents, regardless of the

43

local authority in which they live, were satisfied with their waste management service.

Statistical analyses of the survey responses showed that the local authority in which

respondents resided significantly influenced most responses (including waste collection

service used, waste service satisfaction and backyard composting activity). The survey

responses suggest that targeted intervention strategies would lead to improved diversion

rates of BMW.72

Solid waste is considered an urgent environmental health issue in the

Palestinian Territory. The aim of this paper was to analyze the current status of

residential solid waste (RSW) management in the Palestinian Territory, with the objective

of identifying windows for improvement. The results of this study revealed that 90% of

households in the Palestinian Territory receive solid waste collection service, about 50%

of the households receive this service three times per week or less, leaving a chance for

waste pile-up and litter generation. Organic waste (including food waste) was found to

account for more than 90% of RSW, providing an opportunity for waste utilization

through composting or biogas generation. Additional efforts are required, and some were

suggested in this paper, in order to improve the current situation of Palestinian residential

solid waste management.73

A cross-sectional study on knowledge, attitude and practice about solid waste

disposal and recycling among students, were carried out. 237 students were included in

the study. The instrument of research was a self administered questionnaire containing

four sections, were analyzed using SPSS. Knowledge level of 66% of male students was

good while 34% was low. The knowledge of 51.4% of females was low. The difference

between the knowledge of males and females was significant (p<0.016). Pertaining to

44

the method of segregation and separation of solid waste, 72.1% believed that the best

method was segregation at home and 9.6% deemed that the segregation must be done in

the place of disposal. More than 66% of them did not have any action in segregating and

recycling of solid waste.74

This chapter dealt with reviews on household waste, health and environmental

problems, household waste management, knowledge and practice on household waste

management and intervention for household waste management.

45

CHAPTER 3

Methodology

Research approach

Research design

Schematic representation of the study

Setting of the study

Population

Sample and sampling technique

Inclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria

Tools

Development of tools

Description of the tool

Content validity

Reliability of the tool

Pilot study

Data collection process

Plan for data analysis

46

CHAPTER 3

Methodology

A system of models, procedures and techniques used to find the result of a

research problem is called a research methodology.75

Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It

includes the steps, procedures and strategies for gathering and analyzing the data in a

research investigation.76

The methodology of the study includes research approach, research design,

variables, setting of the study, population, sample and sampling technique, sampling

criteria, Tool and Technique, content validity of the tool, reliability of the tool, ethical

considerations, pilot study, data collection process and plan for data analysis.

This chapter deals with the methodology that was selected by the investigator in

order to assess the effect of Structured Teaching Programme on Knowledge and Practice

of Household Waste Management among Women

Research approach

In order to accomplish the main objective of assessing the effectiveness of

structured teaching programme on household waste management, a quantitative approach

was adopted.

A quantitative research is concerned with measurement of phenomena, characteristics,

concepts or things. It seeks to describe how much of a characteristic is present. This

research method is used to describe variables, examine relationships among variables and

determine cause and effect interactions between variables. Its goal is to assess the

47

effectiveness of structured teaching programme on household waste management in a

selected community based on the independent and dependent variables.

Research design

A research design is the blueprint for conducting a study. The research

design guides the researcher in planning and implementing the study in a way that is most

likely to achieve the intended goal.77

The research design for this study is one group pre-test post-test design.

Quasi experimental study designs were developed to provide alternative means of

examining causality in situations not conducive to experimental controls. These designs

have been developed to control as many threats to validity as possible in a situation in

which at least one of the three components of true experimental design (randomization,

control, and manipulation) is lacking.

This study was intended to ascertain change in knowledge and practice by women

who are subjected to structured teaching programme. Here only one group is observed

twice, i.e., before and after introducing the structured teaching programme. The effect of

the treatment would be equal to the level of the phenomenon after the treatment minus

the level of phenomenon before treatment.

So only one group is observed before and after introducing the independent variable and

can be represented as:

Group Pre test Intervention Post test

I O1 X O2

O1: Pre-test before administration of structured teaching programme

X: Administration of structured teaching programme

48

O2: Post testing of the women after administration of structured teaching programme.

Using this design, the cause effect relationship between the structured teaching

program (independent variable) and knowledge and practice of women on household

waste management (dependent variable) to be assessed which is essential for testing the

effect of the teaching program.

Variables

Variables are the conditions or characteristics that the experimenter manipulates controls

or observes56. Three types of variables were identified in this study:

1. Independent variable

2. Dependent variable

3. Extraneous variable

1. Independent variable

The independent variable is manipulated by the researcher. It is the intervention

or treatment that the researcher performs to see the resulting change in the dependent

variable. The independent variable is the presumed cause for the resulting effect on the

dependent variable.

In the present study the independent variable is the individualized structured

teaching programme by the investigator.

2. Dependent variable

49

The dependent variable usually is the variable that the researcher is interested in

understanding, explaining or predicting. It is the outcome variable, which is measured or

observed following the intervention of the independent variable.

In the present study, knowledge and practice scores of pre-test and post-test are

the dependent variables.

3. Extraneous variables

Extraneous variables are uncontrolled variables that influence the finding of the

research study. It confounds the relationship between independent and dependent

variable. In the present study the extraneous variables are age, education, religion,

income, occupation, marital status and housing and previous knowledge.

Schematic representation of the study

50

Fig 2: Schematic representation of the study

Setting of the study

Day1

Pretest was done for 160 women using structured questionnaire to assess knowledge on hold waste management. Observation check list

to assess the practice on house hold waste management

Administration of Structured Teaching Programme to all the samples in the pre-test regarding Household Waste

Management

On day14 post-test was done for 160 women using the same structured questionnaire to assess knowledge on house hold waste management.

Observation check list to assess the practice on house hold waste management

51

The physical location and conditions in which data collection takes place in a study.78

The study was conducted in wards of Muhamma Gramapanchayath.

Population

The entire set of individuals or objects having some common characteristics;

sometimes called universe.79

Population includes all the possible elements that could be included in research.

In the present study the population is Women in age group (25-50) who are holding the

primary responsibility of the family of Muhamma Gramapanchayath.

Sample and sampling technique

Sample is the subset of population that is selected for the study.80

In the present study sample is 160- Women in age group (25-50) who are holding

the primary responsibility of the family in Muhamma Gramapanchayath.

Sampling technique is the process of selecting cases to represent an entire

population so that inferences about the population can be made.81

Stratified random sampling is a probability sampling technique where the

researcher divides the entire population into different homogeneous subgroups or strata,

and then randomly selects the final subjects proportionately or disproportionately from

the different strata.82

The strata divided according to selected traits of the population such as age,

gender, religion, socio economic status, diagnosis, education, geographical region, type

of institution, type of care, specialization, site of care etc.

In the present study stratified random sampling technique was used to select the

samples i.e., the entire Muhamma Gramapanchayath has 16 wards which were divided

52

into 16 strata based on geographical land marks and 10 samples were selected randomly

from each strata using lottery method.

Inclusion criteria

Women in the age group (25-50yrs) who are holding the primary responsibility of

the family.

Women who are willing to take part in the study.

Exclusion criteria

Women who are health professionals

Tool/Instruments

Data collection tools are the procedures or instruments used by the researcher to observe

or measure the key variables in the research problem.83

Tool 1: Structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge of house wives regarding

house hold waste management.

Tool II: Observation check list to assess the practice of house wives regarding house hold

waste management.

Development/selection of the tool

The tool was developed by reviewing the literature from books, journals,

periodicals, published and unpublished studies and newspaper article which provided

adequate content area and information regarding particular topic. Consultation and

discussion with experts from nursing and medicine were also done to prepare the tool.

Description of the Tool

In the study the investigator used the following tools:

53

Tool 1: The structured questionnaire consist of two sections

Section A consists of Socio-demographic variables-age, type of family, religion, family

income, educational qualification and housing.

Section B consist of 21 multiple choice questions with 3 alternative responses including

one correct answer to assess the knowledge level of samples regarding house hold waste

management among women

Scoring interpretation of knowledge assessment questionnaire

Each right answer will get 1 mark and wrong answer carries 0 marks. Total score is 21.

The respondents were required to select the best possible option by marking [] against

the acceptable answer. The answer key was formulated for scoring. Each question scored

one for correct answer and zero for wrong answer. The highest possible score was

twenty-one and the lowest score was zero.

Tool -II: Observation check list to assess the practice of house wives regarding house

hold waste management. The investigators by visiting each family observe the house hold

premises, their practice of household waste management and mark accordingly in the

check list yes or no. Total score is 15.

Content validity

Content validity refers to the degree to which an instrument measures what it is supposed

to be measured.84

The structured questionnaire was prepared by the investigator and was sent to

subject experts for validity. In Section A, there was 100% agreement for 7 items. For

Section B, 100% agreements for 21 items were made accordingly.

54

The check list was prepared by the investigator and was sent to subject experts for

validity. In this there was 100% agreement for 15 items out of 20.

The structured teaching programme was prepared by the investigator in English

and was given to subject experts for content validity using the criteria given to them. The

criteria check list included content coverage, appropriateness, adequacy, sequence,

relevance, logical order, and simplicity of language. And corrections were made

accordingly as per the suggestions given by the experts.

Reliability of the tool

Reliability of research instrument is defined as the extent to which the instrument

yields the same result on repeated measure. It is then concerned with consistency,

accuracy and homogeneity.85

Reliability of the questionnaire was established by split half method. The test was

administered to 5 women after obtaining informed consent. Correlation was found using

Karl Pearson’s, Correlation coefficient r=0.87, which indicate that the tool is reliable.

Reliability of the observation check list was established by inter rated method.

The check list was given to two of my colleagues and they observed five houses each and

the Correlation coefficient s =0.97, which indicate that the tool is reliable.

Pilot study

Pilot study is a miniature of the main study.86

55

Research proposal including the data collection tool was presented before the

Institutional Ethical committee. After making corrections suggested by the ethical

committee the investigator got the ethical clearance from the Institutional Ethical

committee. After obtaining permission from the Gramapanchayath president of

Thanneermukom Gramapanchayath a pilot study was conducted among 16 women who

fulfilled the inclusion criteria. All the samples were collected by stratified random

sampling method. After getting the informed consent, structured questionnaire was given

to all samples, they took 20-30min to answer the question and also practice on waste

management was assessed by the investigator using observation check list. Then

structured teaching programme was given to the whole samples. The post test was

conducted on the 14th day with the same questionnaire and check list. The data was

analyzed with inferential and differential statistics. The study was found to be feasible

and practicable

Data collection process

After getting permission from Gramapanchayath President of Muhamma

gramapanchayath the data was collected in two phases.

In Phase I, the 16 wards of the panchayath were selected as 16 strata using

Stratified random sampling and 160 samples were selected from the setting i.e., 10

women were selected from each strata using lottery method. The investigator established

rapport with the samples and obtained an informed written consent after explaining the

importance and the purpose of the study. Pre-test questionnaire was served to each one at

home and instructed to read and answer the questions and practice level was assessed by

56

the investigator using observation check list. The duration taken for conducting pre-test

was 1 week.

In phase II the samples were provided with a structured teaching programme. Structured

teaching programme was given in group for each stratum using instructional aids on

house hold waste management. The average time taken was 30 minutes.

A post -test was conducted on the 14th day by administering the same questionnaire and

observation check list.

Plan for data analysis

The data was analyzed in terms of objectives of the study using descriptive and

inferential statistics.

Analysis of data involves translation of information’s collected during the course

of study into interpretable and meaning full.87

The data was entered in the master sheet. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard

deviation, frequency and percentage) and inferential statistics (chi-square test and‘t’ test)

is used for data analysis.

Descriptive statistics88

Frequency and percentage distribution was used to analyses the socio-

demographic data of the subjects.

Inferential statistics89

Chi – square test was used to find out the association between knowledge and

practice level of women and selected socio demographic variable and‘t’ test was used to

find out the effect of structured teaching programme.

CHAPTER 4

57

Analysis and interpretation

Section 1: - Description of sample characteristics

Section 2:- Distribution of women according to the knowledge on household

waste management

Section 3: - Distribution of women according to practice of household waste

management

Section 4: - Correlation between the level of knowledge and Practice on household

waste management

Section 5:- Effect of structured teaching programme in terms of knowledge

scores on household waste management.

Section 6: - Effect of structured teaching programme in terms of Practice scores

on household waste management.

Section 7: - Association between the level of knowledge on household waste

management and selected socio demographic variables.

Section 8: - Association between Practices on household waste management and

selected socio demographic variables.

CHAPTER 4

58

Analysis and interpretation

Introduction

Analysis of data is defined as the systematic organization and synthesis of

research data and the testing of research hypothesis using those data.90

This chapter deals with the analysis and interpretation of data collected to

determine the effect of structured teaching programme on household waste management

among women in Muhamma gramapanchayath.

The data has been analyzed and synthesized in the light of objectives and

hypothesis of the study using descriptive and inferential statistics (chi-square test and

paired t test)

The data collected is organized and presented under the following headings:

Section 1: Distribution of sample based on Socio demographic data.

Section 2: Distribution of sample according to the knowledge on household waste

management

Section 3: Distribution of sample according to practice of household waste management

Section 4: Correlation between the level of knowledge and Practice on household waste

management

Section 5: Effect of structured teaching programme in terms of knowledge scores on

household waste management

Section 6: Effect of structured teaching programme in terms of Practice scores on

household waste management

Section 7: Association between the level of knowledge on household waste management

and selected socio demographic variables.

59

Section 8: Association between Practices on household waste management and selected

socio demographic variables.

SECTION I: Distribution of sample based on Socio demographic data

160 women were selected randomly based on the inclusion criteria from

wards of Muhamma Gramapanchayath. Pre-test was conducted for 160 women and

were given structured teaching programme followed by post-test.

The women’s characteristics are described under the sub headings of age,

educational qualification, occupation, family income, marital status, religion,

housing and family.

Table 1

60

Frequency distribution and percentage of Sample according to age

(n = 160)

Age Frequency Percentage

<30 yrs 41 25.6

30-40 yrs 56 35.0

> 40yrs 63 39.4

Total 160 100.0

Table 1: Shows that majority of them (39.4%) belongs to the age group >40years.

Table 2

61

Frequency distribution and percentage of Sample according to family

(n = 160)

Family Frequency Percentage

Nuclear family 127 79.4

Joint 33 20.6

Total 160 100.0

Table 2: Depicts that majority of them (79.4%) were living in nuclear family and 20.6%

were living in joint family. There was no one from extended family.

Table 3

Frequency distribution and percentage of Sample according to religion

62

(n = 160)

Religion Frequency Percentage

Christian 37 23.1

Hindu 114 71.3

Muslim 9 5.6

Total 160 100.0

Table 3: Reveals that majority of them (71.3%) were Hindus, 23.1 were Christians and

5.6% were Muslims.

Table 4

63

Frequency distribution and percentage of Sample according to marital status

(n = 160)

Marital status Frequency Percentage

Married 154 96.3

Single 5 3.1

Divorced/widower 1 .6

Total 160 100.0

Table 4: Depict all most all were married 96.3%.

TABLE 5

64

Frequency distribution and percentage of Sample according to income

(n = 160)

Income Frequency Percentage

<5000 Rs 128 80.0

5001-10000 Rs 30 18.8

>10000 Rs 2 1.3

Total 160 100.0

Table 5: Depicts that majority 80% had income less than 5000.

TABLE 6

65

Frequency distribution and percentage of Sample according to education

(n = 160)

Education Frequency Percentage

Up to SSLC 117 73.1

Pre-degree 38 23.8

Graduate 5 3.1

Total 160 100.0

Table 6: Reveals that majority of them (73.1%) studied up to SSLC, 23.% of them

studied up to pre degree.

TABLE 7

66

Frequency distribution and percentage of Sample according to occupation

(n = 160)

Occupation Frequency Percentage

Unemployed 114 71.3

Laborer 24 15.0

Self employed 22 13.8

Total 160 100.0

Table 7: Shows that majority of them (71.3%) were unemployed.

TABLE 8

Frequency distribution and percentage of Sample according to type of house

67

(n = 160)

Housing Frequency Percentage

Pucca 130 81.3

Kutcha 23 14.4

Terraced 7 4.4

Total 160 100.0

Table 8: Shows that majority (81.3%) was living in pucca house, 14.4% were living in

kutcha house and 4.4% were living in terraced house.

SECTION II: DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE ACCORDING TO THE

KNOWLEDGE ON HOUSEHOLD WASTE MANAGEMENT

(n = 160)

68

0-7 poor 8-14 average 15-21 good0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

28.1 %

65.6 %

6.3 %

Knowledge Level

Fig 3: Distribution of sample according to level of knowledge on household waste

management

Fig 3: Depicts that (65.6%) of the women had average knowledge regarding house

hold waste management, 28.1% had poor knowledge and 6.3% had good

knowledge regarding house hold waste management

SECTION III: DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE ACCORDING TO

PRACTICE OF HOUSEHOLD WASTE MANAGEMENT

69

(n = 160)

86.9 %

12.5 %0.6 %

Practice Score

Fig 4: Distribution of sample according to level of practice on household waste

management

Fig 4: Reveals that majority (86.9%) of the sample were not practicing the house

hold waste management.

70

SECTION IV: CORRELATION BETWEEN KNOWLEDGEAND

PRACTICE OF SAMPLE ON HOUSEHOLD WASTE

MANAGEMENT.

TABLE 9

Knowledge and practice

(n = 160)

Knowledge

Practice

Total

Chi-

Square

Df P value

Poor Average Good

Poor 45 0 0 45

Average 93 11 1 105 62.273a 4 .000

Good 1 9 0 10

Total 139 20 1 160

χ2 (4, 0.05) = 9.49

Table 9 shows that the obtained value is greater than the table value. So

there is association between knowledge and practice levels of sample regarding

household waste management at 0.00 level of significance. Moreover, the correlation

between knowledge and practice revealed (0.767788628) positive correlation.

71

SECTION V: EFFECT OF STRUCTURED TEACHING

PROGRAMME IN TERMS OF KNOWLEDGE SCORES.

TABLE 10

(n = 160)

Knowledge scores Mean Standard

Deviation

T

Pre test

Post test

8.8688

18.7938

2.48548

1.70864

70.577**

df = 159

** significant at .000

The Mean column in the paired- t test table displays the average difference

between the pre and post-tests of the study. The mean difference in pre-test and post test

score is 9.925. The Standard Deviation column displays the standard deviation of the

average difference score which is 1.77881.

The 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference provides an estimate of the

boundaries between which the true mean difference lies in 95% of all sample participated

in this study.

The t value is 70.577and it is significant at P <.000.This indicate that the

average increase of 9.925 score is not due to chance variation, and is because of the effect

of the Structured teaching programme on household waste management.

72

SECTION VI: EFFECTOF STRUCTURED TEACHING

PROGRAMME IN TERMS OF PRACTICE SCORES.

TABLE 11

(n = 160)

PracticeMean

Standard

DeviationT

Pre test

Post test

3.8750

6.9500

1.46124

7.328595.253**

df = 159

** significant at 000

The Mean column in the paired- t test table displays the average difference

between the pre and post-tests of the study. The mean difference in pre-test and post test

score is 3.075. The Standard Deviation column displays the standard deviation of the

average difference score which is 5.86735.

The 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference provides an estimate of the

boundaries between which the true mean difference lies in 95% of all sample participated

in this study.

The t value is 5.253 and it is significant at P <.000.This indicate that the average

increase of 3.075 score is not due to chance variation, and is because of the effect of the

Structured teaching programme on household waste management.

73

SECTION VII: ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SELECTED

SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND THE LEVEL OF

KNOWLEDGE OF SAMPLE REGARDING HOUSEHOLD WASTE

MANAGEMENT.

TABLE 12

Knowledge and Educational status (n = 160)

Educational

status Knowledge score

Total

Chi-

Square df P value

Poor Average Good

Up to SSLC

Pre-degree

Graduate

41 69 7 117

3 32 3 38 11.074a 4 .026

1 4 0 5

Total 45 105 10 160

χ2 (4, 0.05) =9.49

Table 12 depicts that the obtained value is greater than the table value. So there

is association between knowledge levels and educational status of sample regarding

household waste management at 0.026 level of significance.

74

TABLE 13

Knowledge and Occupation

(n = 160)

Occupation Knowledge

Total

Chi-

Squar

e

df P value

Poor Average Good

Unemployed 38 69 7 114

Laborer 3 20 1 24 3.232a 4 .520

Self

employed

4 16 2 22

Total 45 105 10 160

χ2 (4, 0.05) = 9.49

Table 13 reveals that the obtained value is less than the table value. So

there is no association between knowledge levels and occupation of sample regarding

household waste management at 0.05 level of significance.

75

TABLE 14

Knowledge and Type of house

(n = 160)

Type of houseKnowledge Total

Chi-

Squaredf P value

Poor Average Good

Pucca 39 83 8 130

Kutcha 6 16 1 23 3.571a 4 .467

Terraced 0 6 1 7

Total 45 105 10 160

χ2 (4, 0.05) = 9.49

Table 14 depicts that the obtained value is less than the table value. So

there is no association between knowledge levels and type of house of sample

regarding household waste management at 0.05 level of significance.

TABLE 15

76

Knowledge and Age

(n = 160)

AgeKnowledge

Total0-7 8-14 15-21Chi-

squaredf P value

<30 yrs 9 30 2 41

3.232 4 0.520

30-40 yrs 18 36 2 56

> 40yrs 18 39 6 63

Total 45 105 10 160

χ2 (4, 0.05) = 9.49

Table 15 reveals that the obtained value is less than the table value. So

there is no association between knowledge levels and age of sample regarding

household waste management at 0.05 level of significance.

TABLE 16

77

Knowledge and Religion

(n = 160)

Religion Knowledge

Total0-7 8-14 15-21Chi-

squaredf P value

Christian 12 23 2 37

Hindu 28 79 7 114 5.283 4 0.259

Muslim 5 3 1 9

Total 45 105 10 160

χ2 (4, 0.05) = 9.49

Table 16 reveals that the obtained value is less than the table value. So

there is no association between knowledge levels and religion of sample regarding

household waste management at 0.05 level of significance.

78

TABLE 17

Knowledge and Type of family(n = 160)

Type of family Knowledge

Total0-7 8-14 15-21Chi-

squaredf P value

Nuclear family

36 83 8 127

Joint 9 22 2 33 .020 2 0.990

Total 45 105 10 160

χ2 (2, 0.05) = 5.99

Table 17 reveals that the obtained value is less than the table value. So

there is no association between Knowledge levels and Type of family of sample

regarding household waste management at 0.05 level of significance.

79

SECTION VIII: ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SELECTED SOCIO

DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND THE LEVEL OF PRACTICE

OF SAMPLE ON HOUSEHOLD WASTE MANAGEMENT.

TABLE 18

Practice and Educational status

(n = 160)

Educational

statusPractice

Total

Chi-

Square df P value

Poor Average Good s

Uptosslc 107 10 0 117

Predegree 30 8 0 38 39.533 4 .000

Graduate 2 2 1 5

Total 139 20 1 160

χ2 (4, 0.05) = 9.49

Table 18 shows that the obtained value is greater than the table value. So

there is association between practice levels and educational status of sample regarding

household waste management at 0.05 level of significance.

80

TABLE 19

Practice and Occupation

(n = 160)

OccupationPractice Total

Chi-

Square

df P value

Poor Average Good

Unemployed 101 12 1 114

Labourer 21 3 0 24 2.873 4 .579

Self employed 17 5 0 22

Total 139 20 1 160

χ2 (4, 0.05) = 9.49

Table 19 shows that the obtained value is lesser than the table value. So

there is no association between practice levels and occupation of women regarding

household waste management at 0.05 level of significance.

81

TABLE 20

Practice and Type of house

(n = 160)

Type of housePractice

Total

Chi-

Square

df P value

Poor Average Good

Pucca 112 18 0 130

Kutcha 22 0 1 23 10.870 4 .028

Terraced 5 2 0 7

Total 139 20 1 160

χ2 (4, 0.05) = 9.49

Table 20 clearly shows that the obtained value is greater than the table

value. So there is association between Practice levels and Type of house of sample

regarding household waste management at 0.028 level of significance.

TABLE 21

82

Practice and Age (n = 160)

AgePractice

Total0-5 6-10 11-15Chi-

squaredf P value

<30 yrs 35 6 0 41

30-40 yrs 51 5 0 56 2.600 4 0.627

> 40yrs 53 9 1 63

Total 139 20 1 160

χ2 (4, 0.05) = 9.49

Table 21 shows that the obtained value is lesser than the table value. So

there is no association between age and practice levels of sample regarding household

waste management at 0.05 level of significance.

TABLE 22

Practice and Religion

83

(n = 160)

ReligionPractice

Total0-5 6-10 11-15Chi-

squaredf P value

Christian 33 4 0 37

Hindu 98 15 1 114 0.579

Muslim 8 1 0 9 4 0.965

Total 139 20 1 160

χ2 (4, 0.05) = 9.49

Table 22 shows that the obtained value is lesser than the table value. So

there is association between practice levels and religion of sample regarding household

waste management at 0.05 level of significance.

TABLE 23

84

Practice and Type of family

(n = 160)

Type of familyPractice

Total0-5 6-10 11-15Chi-

squaredf P value

Nuclear family

112 14 1 127

Joint 27 6 0 33 1.456 2 0.483

Total 139 20 1 160

χ2 (2, 0.05) = 5.99

Table 23 shows that the obtained value is lesser than the table value. So

there is no association between practice levels and Type of family of sample regarding

household waste management at 0.05 level of significance.

CHAPTER 5

85

Results

Objectives

Hypothesis

Results

CHAPTER 5

86

Results

This chapter gives a brief account of the present study and results

Objectives

Assess the knowledge on household waste management among women by using a

structured questionnaire.

Assess the Practice on household waste management among women by using an

observation check list.

Determine the effect of structured teaching programme on household waste

management among women.

Determine the association between the knowledge and practice on household

waste management among women.

Determine the association between the knowledge and selected demographic

variable on household waste management among women.

Determine the association between the practice and selected demographic variable

on household waste management among women.

Hypotheses

H1--There is a significant difference in knowledge scores on house hold waste

management among women before and after intervention.

H2 --There is a significant difference in practice scores on house hold waste management

among women before and after intervention.

H3 --There is a significant correlation between knowledge and practice on house hold

waste management among women before and after intervention.

87

Results

Sample characteristics

Most of them (39.4%) belongs to the age group >40years, 35% belongs to the age

group 30 - 40 years and 25.6% belongs to < 30 years.

Majority of them (71.3%) were Hindus, 23.1 were Christians and 5.6% were

Muslims.

Many of them (79.86%) were living in nuclear family and 20.6% were living in

joint family.

Majority of them 96.3% was married, 3.1% were single and only 0.6% were

divorced.

Most of them 80% had income less than 5000, 18.8% had between 5001-10000

and 1.3% had income above 10000.

Many of them (73.1%) studied up to SSLC, 23.% of them studied up to pre degree

and 3.1 were graduates.

Majority of them (71.3%) were unemployed, 15% were laborer and 13.8 were

self-employed.

Most of them (81.3%) was living in pucca house, 14.4% were living in kutcha

house and 4.4% were living in terraced house.

Major Findings

On assessment of knowledge regarding house hold waste management revealed

that (65.6%) of the women had average knowledge regarding house hold waste

management, 28.1% had poor knowledge and 6.3% had good knowledge regarding house

hold waste management.

88

On assessment of practice regarding house hold waste management revealed that

majority (86.9%) of the women were not practicing the house hold waste management.

There was a significant association between the knowledge and practice on

household waste management among women which was proved by attaining greater

value than the table value (X2 =62.273, P<0.05)

There was a significant association between the knowledge and selected

demographic variable on household waste management among women which was proved

by attaining greater value than the table value –

Educational status and knowledge - Here the obtained value is greater than the

table value. So there is association between knowledge levels of women regarding

household waste management at (X2 =11.074, P<0.05) 0.05 level of significance.

Educational status and practice - Here the obtained value is greater than the table

value. So there is association between practice levels of women regarding household

waste management at (X2 =39.533, P<0.05) 0.05 level of significance.

Housing standard and practice - Here the obtained value is greater than the table

value. So there is association between practice levels of women regarding household

waste management at (X2 =10.87, P<0.050.05 level of significance.

Association between knowledge and practice levels of women regarding

household waste management revealed 0.00 level of significance. Moreover, the

correlation between knowledge and practice revealed (0.767788628) positive correlation.

Comparison of pre-test and post-test knowledge scores reveals that score is higher

in the post-test than the pre-test.

89

To test the significance of mean difference between pre-test and post-test

knowledge scores, the following null hypothesis was formulated and tested by using

paired‘t’ test. The mean post-test knowledge score was greater than the mean pre-test

knowledge score which shows pre-test knowledge score was 8.8688 and the post-test

knowledge score is 18.7933 (P<0.05).

Comparison of practice scores, the mean post-test practice score was greater than

the mean pre-test practice score which shows pre-test practice score was 3.8750 and the

post-test practice score is 6.9500. This indicated that structured teaching programme on

household waste management was significantly effective in increasing the knowledge and

improvement in practice of women.

CHAPTER 6

Discussion, summary and conclusion

90

Discussion

Summary

Conclusion

Nursing implications

Limitations

Recommendations

CHAPTER 6

91

Discussion, summary and conclusion

Discussion

This chapter deals with discussion of findings based on the sample characteristics,

effectiveness of structured teaching programme and association of knowledge and

selected variables.

Sample characteristics

Most of them (39.4%) belongs to the age group >40years, 35% belongs to the age

group 30 - 40 years and 25.6% belongs to < 30 years.

Majority of them (71.3%) were Hindus, 23.1 were Christians and 5.6% were

Muslims.

Many of them (79.86%) were living in nuclear family and 20.6% were living in

joint family.

Majority of them 96.3% was married, 3.1% were single and only 0.6% were

divorced.

Most of them 80% had income less than 5000, 18.8% had between 5001-10000

and 1.3% had income above 10000.

Many of them (73.1%) studied up to SSLC, 23. % of them studied up to pre

degree and 3.1 were graduates.

Majority of them (71.3%) were unemployed, 15% were laborer and 13.8 were

self-employed.

Most of them (81.3%) were living in pucca house, 14.4% were living in kutcha

house and 4.4% were living in terraced house.

Association:

92

In the present study the result reveals that

There was a significant association between the knowledge and practice on

household waste management among women which was proved by attaining greater

value than the table value (X2 =62.273, P<0.000). Moreover, the correlation between

knowledge and practice revealed (0.767788628) positive correlation. This was supported

by the study conducted among Myanmar women revealed that there was significant

difference between knowledge level and practice towards house hold waste management,

For which p-value <0.001.91

There was a significant association between the knowledge and selected

demographic variable on household waste management among women which was proved

by attaining greater value than the table value –

In the present study there was an association between knowledge levels and

educational status of women regarding household waste management at (X2 =11.074,

P<0.00) 0.00 level of significance. Which was supported by a study which was conducted

among village residents of Philippines reveled that their knowledge was positively related

to education. 92

The present study depicts that there was an association between practice and

educational status of women regarding household waste management at (X2 =39.533,

P<0.00) 0.00 level of significance. The findings are consistent with the studies conducted

by Mr. Ye Hein Naing about factors influencing the practice of household waste

management among Myanmar migrants and findings have significant association

between practice and educational status of the women in Myanmar migrants for which

(p<0.01).91

93

On assessment of knowledge regarding house hold waste management revealed

that that (65.6%) of the women had average knowledge regarding house hold waste

management, 28.1% had poor knowledge and 6.3% had good knowledge regarding house

hold waste management.

On assessment of practice regarding house hold waste management revealed that

majority (86.9%) of the women were not practicing the house hold waste management.

The above findings are consistent with the studies conducted by Mr. Ye Hein

Naing about factors influencing the practice of household waste management among

Myanmar migrants, study revealed that knowledge towards house hold waste

management among women in Myanmar, among that half of the respondents 49.8% had

high knowledge, 36% had moderate knowledge and 14.2% had low knowledge about

house hold waste management. In their practice 51.2% had moderate practice and 32.2%

had poor practice.91

The finding of the present study revealed that comparison of pre-test and post-test

knowledge scores highlighted the higher in the post-test than the pre-test.

The mean post-test knowledge score was greater than the mean pre-test

knowledge score, the calculated ‘t’ value for knowledge (t=70-577, P<0.00) and for the

practice The mean post-test practice score was greater than the mean pre-test practice

score which shows pre-test practice score was 3.8750 and the post-test practice score is

6.9500. (t=5.253, P<0.05) was greater than the tabled value. This indicated that structured

teaching programme on household waste management was significantly effective in

increasing the knowledge and improvement in practice of women.

94

The study reveals that people with a higher level of knowledge undertook such

actions slightly more often. No significant differences between the provinces were found,

but residents of town, where waste segregation has been introduced simultaneously with

an information campaign, showed a higher level of knowledge. The study points to the

need to further educating the people about solid waste management and to encourage the

teaching of pro-environmental attitudes.93

Summary

This chapter presents the summary of the study. Household waste poses constant

threat to human health, from the production to disposal. While this impact of Household

waste has begun to be acknowledged globally. There is little concern and action about

this in India. The younger generation can be modified to change their life style from the

Household waste direct or indirect consumption to the healthier way of deal. Therefore a

structured teaching programme will help the women to gain knowledge about household

waste management.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of structured

teaching programme on household waste management among women.

The objectives of the study were to:

Assess the knowledge on household waste management among women by using a

structured questionnaire.

Assess the Practice on household waste management among women by using an

observation check list.

Determine the effect of structured teaching programme on household waste

management among women.

95

Determine the association between the knowledge and practice on household

waste management among women.

Determine the association between the knowledge and selected demographic

variable on household waste management among women.

Determine the association between the practice and selected demographic

variable on household waste management among women.

The study attempted to examine the following hypothesis, which was tested at 0.05

level of significance.

H1--There is a significant difference in knowledge scores on house hold waste

management among women before and after intervention.

H2 --There is a significant difference in practice scores on house hold waste management

among women before and after intervention.

H3 --There is a significant correlation between knowledge and practice on house hold

waste management among women before and after intervention.

The conceptual framework was based on Von Bertalanffy system theory with

input, process, output and feedback.

The study made use of an evaluative approach with a one group pre-test post-test

design. The population of the study was women (25-50yrs) of Muhamma

gramapanchayath, Alappuzha. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select

160 women based on certain predetermined criteria.

A self-prepared structured knowledge questionnaire consisting of 21 questions

and check list of 15 questions were utilized to assess the knowledge and practice of

women.

96

The validation of the tool and structured teaching programme was done by giving

it to 11 experts. Pre-testing and reliability of the tool was established prior to the pilot

study. Pilot study was conducted on 16 women. This gave a basis for the investigator to

conduct the actual study on 160 women. Following pre-test, structured teaching

programme was administered and post-test was conducted fourteen days after the

administration of structured teaching programme. The obtained data were analyzed in

terms of the objectives and hypothesis using descriptive and inferential statistics.

The findings of this study proved lack of knowledge and practice among women on

household waste management. The structured teaching programme conducted by the

investigator helped them to improve their knowledge (Pre-test χ1=8.8688, Post-test χ 2

=18.7938) and practice (Pre-test χ1=3.8750, Post-test χ 2 =6.9500). The effectiveness of

structured teaching programme was tested in terms of gain in knowledge and

improvement in practice and the findings showed that it was statistically significant at

0.05 level for knowledge (t= 70.577 , P<0.05) and for practice (t = 5.253 , P<0.05).

The study was new learning experience for the investigator. The overall

experience of conducting this study was pleasing and enriching. The women were very

much contented and fortunate with the information received. The successful completion

of this work was due to the guidance and co-operation of my guide, co-guide, the

concerned panchayath authority and the women.

Conclusion

The family exists to provide a special environment for the formative years of

human life. The nurse can make use of the family as channels to impart health promotion

97

messages to the women and the rest of the community. The problem selected for this

study is a common human health threat with high potential for people’s ill health. The

hazards due to improper household waste management are vast and health teaching is the

best weapon to prevent the ill effects of household waste.

The conceptual model for the study was based on the Von Bertalanffy system

theory with input, process, output and feedback. The theory indicates the likelihood of

taking preventive action against hazards of household waste, use considering the

perceived knowledge and threat of ill effects of household waste. The assessment of

women’s knowledge before and after health education helps to ascertain their perceived

knowledge and likelihood of preventive action in terms of gain in knowledge and

improved practice.

This study made use of evaluating approach. The populations in the study were

women (25-50yrs) of Muhamma gramapanchayath, Alappuzha. Stratified random

sampling technique and lottery method was used to select 160 women based on the

predetermined criteria.

A structured knowledge questionnaire and checklist was used to collect the data.

The knowledge scores were used to identify the effectiveness of structured teaching

programme. The content validity and reliability of the tool were established prior to the

pilot study. A pilot study was conducted on 16 women. The main study was conducted on

160 women (25-50yrs) of Muhamma gramapanchayath, Alappuzha.

The obtained data were analyzed in terms of the objectives and hypothesis using

descriptive and inferential statistics. The level of significance for the testing of hypothesis

was set at 0.05 levels.

98

Findings of the Study

The finding of the present study revealed that comparison of pre-test and post-test

knowledge scores highlighted the higher in the post-test than the pre-test.

The mean post-test knowledge score was greater than the mean pre-test

knowledge score, the calculated ‘t’ value for knowledge (t=70-577, P<0.00) and for the

practice The mean post-test practice score was greater than the mean pre-test practice

score which shows pre-test practice score was 3.8750 and the post-test practice score is

6.9500. (t=5.253, P<0.00) was greater than the tabled value. This indicated that structured

teaching programme on household waste management was significantly effective in

increasing the knowledge and improvement in practice of women.

There was a significant association between the knowledge and practice on

household waste management among women which was proved by attaining greater

value than the table value (X2 =62.273, P<0.00)

There was a significant association between the knowledge and selected

demographic variable on household waste management among women which was proved

by attaining greater value than the table value – for educational status and knowledge (X2

=11.074, P<0.05) 0.05 level of significance, educational status and practice (X2 =39.533,

P<0.05) 0.05 level of significance, housing standard and practice (X2 =10.87, P<0.050.05

level of significance.

IMPLICATIONS

The present study was conducted to identify the effect of a structured teaching

programme on household waste management among women of Muhamma

99

Gramapanchayath, Alappuzha. The findings of the study held in provided the useful

information to the health care providers, health educators and teachers to improve the

knowledge and skills of women.

The study has a number of implications in 1) Nursing education 2) Nursing practice

3) Nursing research and 4) Nursing administration.

Nursing Education

Nursing education should focus its attention on practice, from curative to the preventive

care, by using extensive health education in their nursing care. The nursing students

should be encouraged to take up innovative, interesting health education activities in

health promotion. It should incorporate newer approaches and strategies in the

curriculum. The curriculum should provide an opportunity for innovation and experience

to conduct health education, thereby spreading health messages to wider areas/regions.

They are also obliged to teach the public regarding the importance of household waste

management as it is essential for better living conditions and to be free from so many life

threatening diseases.

Nursing Service

Nurses are the key providers of preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative

services to individuals and communities. The expanded role of nurse emphasizes on those

activities which promote health. Health promotion without the active involvement of the

communities does not bring about sustainable knowledge and behavioural changes.

Nurses in their educative role, among women are in a better position to mould the health-

related behaviour. They can be involved actively to modify the health-related behaviours

in the family and have more influence among other members of the family. Therefore

100

structured teaching programmes are feasible cost effective method of health education

that can be extensively used in health education among women.

Nursing Research

Nursing personnel being one of the important healthcare personnel providing primary

health care have the challenging task of health promotion. Implications for research

include replicating the study in other geographic areas, using a larger sample from a wide

range of ages, cultures, educational and occupational background and income category to

see if the study results are consistent with what has been derived in this study. The study

can be conducted and the aspect related to health practices can be assessed using wide

range of topics.

Studies also can be conducted to identify the feasibility of a working relation between

nurses and teachers so that there is extensive coverage of health information among

public. The literature review revealed the need for more studies relating to structured

teaching programmes. Studies also can be conducted by using focus groups like children,

women of all age group, and men.

Nursing Administration

It is essential for nursing administrators to facilitate activities to improve knowledge and

practices of the public towards significant health problems. The administration should

enable the nursing personnel to develop newer skills through in-service education and

continuing education. They should plan and organize programmes that are cost effective.

The staff should be encouraged to prepare teaching materials and audio visual aids

regarding various health related topics.

Limitations

101

The study was confined to women of age group 25-50 yrs which limits the

generalizability.

The study was confined to women of Muhamma gramapanchayath, Alappuzha

which limits the generalizability

The number of subjects who participated in the study was small, which limits

generalizability.

Recommendations

Studies can be conducted with a large number of samples.

Effect of health education can be assessed using other focus groups like

NGOs, Social workers etc.

Comparative studies could be conducted between urban and rural setting.

Similar study can be conducted among men.

A study on the hazards of plastic use could be done among general public.