ABSTRACT

Abstract

This study was conducted using descriptive survey design involving mixed methods. Data collection instruments used were direct observations, focused group discussions, structured individual interviews and open-ended questionnaires. A total of 200 respondents formed the study’s sample size sampled through Snowball and Convenient techniques. The main aim of the study was to assess those environmental risk factors with strong links to public health as such four factors were studied namely: housing, sanitation, water supply and food processing and storage. Descriptive Statistics and Content Analysis methods were used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data respectively. Results on respondents’ demographic characteristics showed that the majority of the respondents was female (56.5%) and married (48.5%). Besides, 79.5% of them had no formal education or had either primary or secondary education only while 57% were within the age group of 15 – 45 years. Socio-economically, the majority of the respondents (65.5%) were poor earning less than 300,000 UGX a month while family sizes were relatively big. With regards to the risk factors studied, houses were found to be so congested and over crowded with poor ventilation. The state of sanitation was so bad with streets littered with refuse, drainages dumped with solid wastes and sewages flowing all over. Similarly, spring water was the major source of water supply for majority of the residents while water is stored in unhygienic conditions. Although food processing was found to be relatively alright, food storage facilities were issues of great concern. Most prevalent diseases included malaria, diarrhea, sexually transmitted diseases among others. Based on these findings, it was concluded that considering the poor socioeconomic status of the majority of the residents coupled with the poor and deplorable infrastructural conditions of the settlements, the general public health is at stake. Thus, it was recommended that, government should as a matter of urgency intervene on very sensitive issues such as portable water supply and sanitation in order to prevent further deterioration in the public health status.

Keywords: Health; Environmental Risk Factors; Kibuli; Nabutiti.