Water treatment perceptions and practices among study participants from four administrative cells of Butaro Sector in Northern Province, Rwanda (N = 539)
| . | Gatsibo . | Mubuga . | Muhotora . | Nyamicucu . | Total . |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 131) . | (n = 134) . | (n = 138) . | (n = 136) . | (N = 539) . | |
| Count (%) . | |||||
| Drinking water treatment practices | |||||
| Treat water | 60 (45.8) | 43 (32.1) | 57 (41.3) | 61 (44.9) | 221 (41.0) |
| Do not treat water | 71 (54.2) | 91 (67.9) | 81 (58.7) | 74 (54.4) | 317 (58.8) |
| No response | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.7) | 1 (0.2) |
| Drinking water treatment perceptions | |||||
| Water should be treated | 99 (75.6) | 113 (84.3) | 112 (81.2) | 108 (79.4) | 432 (80.1) |
| Water should not be treated | 27 (20.6) | 19 (14.2) | 24 (17.4) | 24 (17.6) | 94 (17.4) |
| No response | 5 (3.8) | 2 (1.5) | 2 (1.4) | 4 (2.9) | 13 (2.4) |
| Among participants who reported treating drinking water | |||||
| Water treatment method used | |||||
| Boiling | 59 (98.3) | 42 (97.7) | 55 (96.5) | 54 (88.5) | 210 (95.0) |
| Chlorination | 1 (1.7) | 1 (2.3) | 1 (1.8) | 4 (6.6) | 7 (3.2) |
| Othera | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.8) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.5) |
| No response | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 3 (4.9) | 3 (1.4) |
| Frequency of water treatment | |||||
| Water treated every time | 14 (23.3) | 24 (55.8) | 35 (61.4) | 36 (59.0) | 109 (49.4) |
| Water treated sometimes | 44 (73.3) | 19 (44.2) | 19 (33.3) | 22 (36.1) | 104 (47.1) |
| No response | 2 (3.3) | 0 (0) | 3 (5.3) | 3 (4.9) | 8 (3.6) |
| Confidence in water treatment method | |||||
| Very confident | 8 (13.3) | 14 (32.6) | 29 (50.9) | 37 (60.7) | 88 (39.8) |
| Somewhat confident | 45 (75.0) | 28 (65.1) | 26 (45.6) | 21 (34.4) | 120 (54.3) |
| Not confident | 4 (6.7) | 1 (2.3) | 1 (1.8) | 1 (1.6) | 7 (3.2) |
| No response | 3 (5.0) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.8) | 2 (3.3) | 6 (2.7) |
| Perceived affordability of water treatment method | |||||
| Affordable | 2 (3.3) | 11 (25.6) | 2 (3.5) | 13 (21.3) | 28 (12.7) |
| Medium | 13 (21.7) | 16 (37.2) | 13 (22.8) | 10 (16.4) | 52 (23.5) |
| Expensive | 8 (13.3) | 9 (20.9) | 25 (43.9) | 17 (27.9) | 59 (26.7) |
| No response | 37 (61.7) | 7 (16.3) | 17 (29.8) | 21 (34.4) | 82 (37.1) |
| Preferred water treatment method | |||||
| Boiling | 53 (88.3) | 39 (90.7) | 53 (93.0) | 42 (68.9) | 187 (84.6) |
| Chlorination | 5 (8.3) | 1 (2.3) | 1 (1.8) | 4 (6.6) | 11 (5.0) |
| Otherb | 2 (3.3) | 3 (7.0) | 2 (3.5) | 13 (21.3) | 20 (9.0) |
| No response | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.8) | 2 (3.3) | 3 (1.4) |
| . | Gatsibo . | Mubuga . | Muhotora . | Nyamicucu . | Total . |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 131) . | (n = 134) . | (n = 138) . | (n = 136) . | (N = 539) . | |
| Count (%) . | |||||
| Drinking water treatment practices | |||||
| Treat water | 60 (45.8) | 43 (32.1) | 57 (41.3) | 61 (44.9) | 221 (41.0) |
| Do not treat water | 71 (54.2) | 91 (67.9) | 81 (58.7) | 74 (54.4) | 317 (58.8) |
| No response | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.7) | 1 (0.2) |
| Drinking water treatment perceptions | |||||
| Water should be treated | 99 (75.6) | 113 (84.3) | 112 (81.2) | 108 (79.4) | 432 (80.1) |
| Water should not be treated | 27 (20.6) | 19 (14.2) | 24 (17.4) | 24 (17.6) | 94 (17.4) |
| No response | 5 (3.8) | 2 (1.5) | 2 (1.4) | 4 (2.9) | 13 (2.4) |
| Among participants who reported treating drinking water | |||||
| Water treatment method used | |||||
| Boiling | 59 (98.3) | 42 (97.7) | 55 (96.5) | 54 (88.5) | 210 (95.0) |
| Chlorination | 1 (1.7) | 1 (2.3) | 1 (1.8) | 4 (6.6) | 7 (3.2) |
| Othera | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.8) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.5) |
| No response | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 3 (4.9) | 3 (1.4) |
| Frequency of water treatment | |||||
| Water treated every time | 14 (23.3) | 24 (55.8) | 35 (61.4) | 36 (59.0) | 109 (49.4) |
| Water treated sometimes | 44 (73.3) | 19 (44.2) | 19 (33.3) | 22 (36.1) | 104 (47.1) |
| No response | 2 (3.3) | 0 (0) | 3 (5.3) | 3 (4.9) | 8 (3.6) |
| Confidence in water treatment method | |||||
| Very confident | 8 (13.3) | 14 (32.6) | 29 (50.9) | 37 (60.7) | 88 (39.8) |
| Somewhat confident | 45 (75.0) | 28 (65.1) | 26 (45.6) | 21 (34.4) | 120 (54.3) |
| Not confident | 4 (6.7) | 1 (2.3) | 1 (1.8) | 1 (1.6) | 7 (3.2) |
| No response | 3 (5.0) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.8) | 2 (3.3) | 6 (2.7) |
| Perceived affordability of water treatment method | |||||
| Affordable | 2 (3.3) | 11 (25.6) | 2 (3.5) | 13 (21.3) | 28 (12.7) |
| Medium | 13 (21.7) | 16 (37.2) | 13 (22.8) | 10 (16.4) | 52 (23.5) |
| Expensive | 8 (13.3) | 9 (20.9) | 25 (43.9) | 17 (27.9) | 59 (26.7) |
| No response | 37 (61.7) | 7 (16.3) | 17 (29.8) | 21 (34.4) | 82 (37.1) |
| Preferred water treatment method | |||||
| Boiling | 53 (88.3) | 39 (90.7) | 53 (93.0) | 42 (68.9) | 187 (84.6) |
| Chlorination | 5 (8.3) | 1 (2.3) | 1 (1.8) | 4 (6.6) | 11 (5.0) |
| Otherb | 2 (3.3) | 3 (7.0) | 2 (3.5) | 13 (21.3) | 20 (9.0) |
| No response | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.8) | 2 (3.3) | 3 (1.4) |
a‘Other’ included a combination of boiling and chlorination.
b‘Other’ included the use of disinfectant powder, water filters, and clean water supplied by the government or another entity such that treatment is unnecessary.