Development of A Multidimensional Scale to Assess Attitudinal Determinants of Sanitation Uptake and Use

Over 1 billion people still practice open defecation. Low uptake and use of new sanitation technologies in a number of settings has underscored our current limited understanding of the complex attitudinal factors that influence a household's decision to adopt and use new sanitation technologies. Mokken scaling techniques were applied to series of population-based surveys in Odisha, India between September 2011 and October 2013 (sample sizes 120, 500, 2200). Surveys contained simple, agree/disagree statements about attitudes toward sanitation use and sanitation technologies. Analysis produced two scales-a 10-question General Scale, reflecting attitudes toward defecation and norms regarding latrine use for all respondents, and a 6-question Experiential Scale, reflecting personal experiences with and perceived convenience of sanitation technologies targeted at respondents with a latrine. Among all respondents, a one-point change in the General Scale was associated with a 5-percentage point change in the marginal probability of having access to a functioning latrine. Among respondents with a functional latrine at home, a one-point increase in the General and Experiential Scales were associated with a 4- and 8-percentage point decrease in the probability of engaging in any open defecation in the last 7 days, respectively.