An examination of factors influencing open defecation among households in Lukaya town council, Kalungu District, Uganda

Background: Open defecation has been established to be an international health challenge especially so in developing economies like Uganda. This study was carried out in Lukaya Town Council in Kalungu District, Uganda. It aimed at establishing factors associated with open defecation among households in this Town Council. Methods: The study used cross-sectional design, with quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study sample was 370 primary respondents in households and 7 Key informants.  Systematic random sampling technique was used to select the primary respondents, and purposive sampling was used to select the key informants. Both open and close ended structured questionnaires were used to collect the quantitative data, while a key informant interview guide was used to collect the qualitative data. Results: The study established that the prevalence of open defecation among households in this Town Council was 23.2%. Multivariate data analysis showed that having positive cultural beliefs significantly decreased the likelihoods of occurrence of open defecation (AOR=0.477; CI: 0.224 - 1.015; P=0.035), while having traditional type of toilet facility significantly increased the likelihood of occurrence of open defecation among the households (AOR=5.839; CI: 1.533 - 22.242; P=0.010). Conclusions: Addressing open defecation in this Town Council requires among others a comprehensive approach that includes improving toilet infrastructure and reducing negative cultural beliefs. It is recommended that effort be placed towards improving toilet infrastructure and prioritizing education and awareness.