SAFE SANITATION AND POPULATION HEALTH: EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS TO IDENTIFY DETERMINANTS OF LATRINE USAGE IN SRI LANKA.

Latrine usage and sanitation in Sri Lanka is one of the best in South Asia. Interventions providing toilets and promoting usage have substantially improved health conditions of the population. However, lack of usage of available sanitation facilities and consequent unhygienic practices, such as open defecation is still prevalent in Sri Lanka. These cause serious health issues and environmental problems. Therefore, this study aims to identify factors determining toilet usage in urban, rural and estate sectors. Data of Household Income and Expenditure Survey of the Department of Census and Statistics of the year 2016 has been used for the analysis. The study is cross-sectional and predominantly descriptive in nature. It was found that sector (urban, rural and estate); districts (Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts in the Eastern Province); age of the members of the households; headship of the head of the household; ethnicity of the head of the household; education level of the head of the household; and poverty (income) are determinants of usage of latrines, whilst family size was not a significant factors. The findings of the study will support Evidence-Based Policy. However, further emphasis is to be given to socio-economic, cultural and behavioural aspects of latrine usage in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]