SANITARY CONDITIONS AND INMATES' KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS HYGIENE PRACTICES IN AGODI PRISON, IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

General living and environmental condition across prisons in Nigeria are characterised by poor sanitary conditions. Inmates are prone to infection such as cholera, dysentery or tuberculosis because of poor sanitary conditions and overcrowding. There is a need for evidence based information on sanitary conditions of the prisons and hygiene practices among inmates in Nigeria. This study was designed to measure inmates' hygiene practices, attitude and knowledge, and assess sanitary conditions of Agodi prison, lbadan. A cross-sectional survey involving 400 consenting inmates was conducted. Observation of the sanitary conditions like waste disposal, drainage system, water supply, toilet and bathroom facilities of the prison was carried out using a checklist. Key Informant Interviews (KII) were conducted among five Agodi prison staff to evaluate sanitary condition and availability of needed resources in the prison. Interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used to elicit information on socio--demographic characteristics, knowledge on sanitation and attitude towards hygiene practices. Respondent's knowledge of sanitation was measured on a 24-point scale and categorised into poor ≤11 and good >11. Attitude towards hygiene practices was assessed on a 55- point attitudinal scale and rated as negative ≤33 and positive >33. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and logistic regression were used for data analysis. Respondents mean age was 31.6 ±8.2 years, 52.8% were not married and 98.3% were males. About half (50.8%) completed secondary school and 7.3% had no formal education. The mean number of inmates per room (4.8 x 6.0 metres) was 64.3 ±25.3 and 61.8% had spent over one year in the prison. Of 16 cells observed, all were dark and none had mosquito net. Polythene bags used as waste bins in female cells were neatly kept and buckets/cartons that served same purpose in male cells were unkempt. Two sliding open drainage systems were observed behind and in front of male cells. None of the taps in all the cells was functioning and all inmates observed drawing water from the central well did so with dirty buckets. Female inmates (1.7%) housed in two rooms had two clean toilets and bathrooms. Fourteen toilets and bathrooms observed in 14 male cells were filthy. Key informants reported that resources which included toiletries, medications and water supply were inadequate for the number of inmates. Eighty two percent of inmates had good sanitary knowledge and 58.0% had positive attitude towards hygiene practices. There was significant relationship between age and attitude towards hygiene practices (p<0.05). The higher the age group, the better the attitude towards hygiene practices. Respondents who had poor knowledge on sanitation were less likely to have positive altitude towards hygiene practices compared to those who had good knowledge on sanitation (OR: 0.42. 95% Cl: 0.25, 0.70). Inmates' knowledge of sanitation was good and their attitude to well hygiene practices was positive, but these did not reflect in the environment they lived. Overcrowding and inadequate resources are contributory to the poor sanitary conditions of Agodi prison.