A Perspective Analysis of Dams and Water Quality: The Bui Power Project on the Black Volta, Ghana
Table 3
Respondents’ general knowledge of water usage patterns, water related tropical diseases, and behavioural change.
Variables
% total (200)
% far from the dam communities (100)
% near to the dam communities (100)
value
Odd ratio
How often do you come into contact with water?
Daily
23 (11.5)
18 (18.0)
5 (5.0)
0.004
0.24
Monthly
175 (87.5)
95 (95.0)
80 (80.0)
0.0013
4.8
None
2 (10)
0 (0)
2 (2.0)
0.1552
0.2
Do you perceive any health problem from your water?
Yes
183 (91.5)
97 (97.0)
86 (86.0)
0.0993
5.3
No
17 (8.5)
3 (3.0)
14 (14.0)
0.0447
0.28
Do you know anyone suffering from any of these diseases?
Malaria
16 (8.0)
12 (12.0)
4 (4.0)
0.04
3.27
Diarrhea
36 (18.0)
11 (11.0)
25 (25.0)
0.01
0.37
Onchocerciasis
10 (5.0)
8 (8.0)
2 (2.0)
0.05
4.3
Schistosomiasis
25 (12.5)
2 (2.0)
23 (23.0)
<0.0001
0.7
What are possible symptoms observed?
Coughing
20.0 (10.0)
9 (9.0)
11 (11.0)
0.0637
0.37
Diarrhea
56 (28.0)
19 (19.0)
37 (37.0)
0.0046
0.399
Blood in urine
100 (55.0)
43 (43.0)
67 (67.0)
0.0006
0.8
Impaired vision
4 (2.0)
1 (1.0)
3 (3.0)
0.312
0.33
None
10 (5.0)
5 (5.0)
5 (5.0)
1
1
How often do you wash your hands in a day?
2 times
42 (21)
7 (7.0)
35 (35.0)
<0.0001
0.14
3 times
158 (79)
65 (65.0)
93 (93.0)
<0.0001
8.86
More than 3 times
5 (2.5)
0 (0)
5 (5.0)
0.0235
0.09
What do you wash your hand with
Soap and water
25 (12.5)
2 (2.0)
23 (23.0)
<0.0001
0.07
Only water
84 (42)
34 (34.0)
50 (50.0)
0.0219
0.52
When is the washing done?
After eating
106 (53)
33 (33.0)
73 (73.0)
<0.0001
0.182
After visiting the toilet
93 (46.5)
66 (66.0)
27 (27.0)
<0.0001
5.25
After daily work
1 (0.5)
1 (1.0)
0 (0)
0.3161
3.03
Why and how do you sometimes treat your drinking water?
When it smells bad
0
0 (0)
0 (0)
0 (0)
0
By filtration to make clean
0
0 (0)
0 (0)
0 (0)
0
By boiling to remove germs
109 (54.5)
21 (21.0)
88 (88.0)
<0.0001
0.03
By boiling reduce chances of disease
81 (40.5)
69 (69.0)
12 (12.0)
<0.0001
0.06
How do you keep left over food?
Reheat
81 (40.5)
69 (69.0)
12 (12.0)
<0.0001
0.06
In the room
3 (1.5)
0 (0)
3 (3.0)
0.081
0.14
Covered
109 (54.5)
21 (21.0)
88 (88.0)
<0.0001
0.03
Where do you store the food?
Covered container
160 (80)
97 (97.0)
63 (63.0)
<0.0001
19
Uncovered container
40 (20.0)
3 (3.0)
37 (37.0)
<0.0001
0.053
None
0
0 (0)
0 (0)
0 (0)
0
Why should food be stored when not eaten?
Keeps flies off
52 (26.0)
21 (21.0)
31 (31)
0.106
0.59
Prevent diseases
16 (8.0)
5 (5.0)
11 (11.0)
0.118
0.43
Keep food clean
6 (3.0)
2 (2.0)
4 (4.0)
0.41
0.49
Keep warm
56 (28.0)
23 (23.0)
33 (33.0)
0.115
0.6
How many time do you bath in a day?
One time
20 (10)
11 (11.0)
9 (9.0)
0.64
0.8
Two times
170 (0.85)
94 (94.0)
76 (76.0)
0.15
3.13
Never
3 (1.5)
3 (3.0)
0 (0)
0.081
0.14
How do you dispose off your solid waste?
Burn
102 (51)
15 (15.0)
87 (87.0)
<0.0001
0.03
Community dump site
6 (6.0)
2 (2.0)
4 (4.0)
1
1
Left in the open
30 (15.0)
24 (24.0)
6 (6.0)
0.0004
4.94
How do you dispose of your liquid waste?
Lead to drain
93 (46.5)
27 (27.0)
66 (66.0)
<0.0001
0.3
Thrown on the ground
53 (26.5)
47 (47.0)
6 (6.0)
<0.0001
13.9
Thrown into the river
3 (1.5)
0 (0)
3 (3.0)
0.081
0.14
OR refers to odds ratio; value refers to level of significance. The “far from the dam” communities were Agblekame North and Agblekame South while “near to the dam” communities were Gyama Nsuo-ano and Bongase nsuo-ano.
