EFFECTS OF UNHYGIENIC PRACTICES ON THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE AND ITS ENVIRONMENT

1.1 Introduction

The practice of maintaining clean, healthy environments by eliminating waste, litter, and debris from streets, schools, and houses through the use of disinfectants and other health-related supplies. A facility that hygienically isolates human waste from human touch is considered to have enhanced sanitation (WHO, 2010; Hutton et al., 2004). Safe hygiene practices cover a wide variety of healthful habits, such washing your hands before eating and after giving your child a good cleaning, as well as disposing of waste in a safe manner. It also entails controlling vectors, maintaining a clean environment, and preventing human contact with the risks connected to a shortage of wholesome food, clean water, and sanitary housing. Its main goal is to control the trash that comes from human activity.

This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

Environmental health is more than just cleanliness and hygiene; it includes a wide range of environmental factors. It also includes researching how the environment influences people's health. Ololade et al. (2009) state that in poor nations such as Nigeria, markets are often established without adequate consideration for the provision of suitable refuse dumps, which has resulted in the unintentional contamination of the environment by humans trying to dispose of rubbish.

The development of garbage may outpace the evacuation pattern in a large market, increasing the risk to public health. One of the biggest marketplaces in the city of Uyo is the market in the study area, Akpan Andem. Every day, a lot of buyers and sellers congregate at the market, where things are traded for cash. Unwanted things in the market might be classified as non-combustible materials like metals and glassware or as combustible materials like papers, plastics, and food waste.

According to Meidina and Gamse (2010), markets contribute about 20% of waste generation; they are the second largest generator of municipal solid waste after households. Waste generation encompasses those activities in which materials are identified as no longer of value and are either discarded or gathered together for disposal (Momoh and Oladebeye, 2010).

The issue of public health is a concern to the citizen and everybody or organization, it is the science and art of preventing diseases; prolonging life; promoting physical and mental health and efficiency through organized community efforts such as proper sanitization of the environment; the control of community infection; all of which will ensure a standard of living for every individual in the community, this will adequately maintain healthy conditions (Uchegbu, S.N. 2000).

Public health however, has been defined as a science and art that deals with the protection and improvement of community health by organized community’s efforts, this include: preventive medicine, sanitary and social services (Uchegbu, S.N. 2000). Accordingly, public health is an effort organized by society to protect, promote and restore people’s health; it is the combination of sciences, skill and beliefs that are directed to the maintenance and improvement of health through collective and social actions. Public health emphasizes the prevention of diseases and this can be achieved through proper sanitation. Sanitation whether in the urban or rural area protects and/or enhances the environment and by extension the health of the citizens. Sanitation is thus, the aspect of environment which may affect the health of the citizen Uchegbu, S.N. (2000) added.

According to (Worlanyo, E.K., 2013) One of the crucial, unsolved, or even unresolved problems for those concerned with the quality of life in the world, especially the developing world is that of adequate, accessible and acceptable basic sanitation. It was reported that human right to sanitation is directly linked to other human rights.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Effects of Unhygienic Practices on the Health of People and its Environment.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that the public health problems associated with lack of effective environmental sanitation can be reduced / eliminated favourably if proper sanitary activities are performed by market traders. Thus, actions that threaten lifestyle or take up personal time (spending more time to do sorting of waste for example could have economic costs on market users and would not be widely supported (Fortner, et al., 2000; O’Connor et al., 2002). The problem of poor environmental hygiene has been a threat to individuals’ urinary system which has persisted in spite of the enlightenment toward the danger of poor sanitation in school environment.

The contribution of trading activities to the livelihoods of the population, particularly in the informal sector cannot be overemphasized (Aryeetey & Nyanteng, 2006). The market place as an important structural part of the local economy which facilitates the exchange of commodities, transfer of monies, traffic generation, information flow and other forms of spatial and social interactions also leads to waste generation especially, plastic waste (Worlanyo, E.K., 2013). This issue has the potential for environmental pollution with its attendant public health implications (Aryeetey & Nyanteng, 2006; Mwanza, 2001). Inadequate environmental sanitation has been recognized as a public health hazard worldwide (Ekong, Ibanga Eyo, 2015).

More so, some sellers in the market lack waste storage containers and are left with no option than to dispose their waste in places suitable to them. Despite the growing concern of waste management in many market in the city Akpan Andem market inclusive, the assessment of solid waste disposal habits of sellers in Akpan Andem market as well as the evacuation practise of Akwa Ibom State waste management agency has not been studied to the best of the researcher’s knowledge.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the Effects of Unhygienic Practices on the Health of People and its Environment. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine the health related problems associated with unhygienic environmental sanitation practices in the study area;
2. To identify the cause and the effect of unhygienic practices in school and the danger to the health of students;
3. To evaluate the impact of environmental unhygienic practices on the health of people in the study area;
4. To highlight the constraints and challenges of keeping healthy environment in the area under review; and
5. To make recommendations for improving and promoting quality hygienic practices among the residents in the study area.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Are there health related problems associated with unhygienic environmental sanitation practices in the study area?
• What are the constraints and challenges of keeping healthy environment in the area under review?
• What is the impact of environmental unhygienic practices on the health of people in the study area?
• What are the cause and the effect of unhygienic practices in school and the danger to the health of students?
• What are the methods for improving and promoting quality hygienic practices among the residents in the study area?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There is no significant relationship between the quality of environmental hygiene and the health quality of people in the study area
• H1: There is significant relationship between the quality of environmental hygiene and the health quality of people in the study area

Hypothesis Two

• H0: Poor environmental hygiene practice does not affect the health of the traders residing in the area under review
• H1: Poor environmental hygiene practice affects the health of the traders residing in the area under review

1.7 Significance of Study

The study will be used as a resource by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Environment, and other relevant organizations to design sustainable sanitation programmes in the state's marketplaces that face comparable issues. Additionally, it will provide a thorough grasp of the issues raised by inadequate sanitation standards as well as solutions for the market region.

The results of this study will add to the amount of information already available on people's hygiene habits in an effort to achieve effective and efficient environmental sanitation in the state. Furthermore, it will encourage additional study on the topic in the region and other marketplaces in the state and the nation as a whole that face comparable issues.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Effects of Unhygienic Practices on the Health of People and its Environment using Akpan Andem Market in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State as a case study.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:

1. Time Constraint:The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
3. Lack of Initial Cooperation from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.

1.10 Definition of Terms

Environmental Hygiene:

It encompasses effective cleaning of surfaces using decontamination of medical equipment, appropriate products, and devices used in patient-care procedures, safe and appropriate handling of sharps, blood and body fluid spills, waste and linen.

Health:

It is a state of physical, mental and social well-being in which disease and infirmity are absent

Sanitation:

It refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and adequate treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage.

Environmental Sanitation:

It is the art of keeping our surrounding clean and control of all sources and factors that can aid the spread of diseases.

Management:

May be defined as the creation and maintenance of an environment in which individuals working together as a group can accomplish the pre-set goals within the limited resources available.

Pollution:

It means to destroy the purity, sanity or the quality of water.

Nuisance:

Anything that is likely to injure health either directly or indirectly is a nuisance.

Public Health Law:

These are laid down rules and regulations relating to the protection and promotion of good health standard.

Hygiene:

It is the scientific knowledge and application of healthy living.

Technology:

It is a systematic application of knowledge and skill to practical performance or tasks in production.

1.11 Organization of the Study

Chapter one of the study, provides background of the study, stating the problem of the study and the research questions and hypotheses to be tested in the study. It also highlights the significance of the study and scope of the study.

Chapter two reviews related literature on the Effects of Unhygienic Practices on the Health of People and its Environment.

Chapter three discussed the research methods to be used in designing the study which will include research design, population, sample size and sampling technique, data collection and data analysis methods.

Chapter four presents the data gathered in frequency and percentage tables. The data will also be analyzed and research hypotheses will be tested with chi-square statistical test.

Chapter five summarizes the outcome of the study, draw conclusions based on the findings of the study and make necessary recommendations.