Dr Remi Modupe Omoogun, Dr Christiana Aloye Ushie & Dr John Edwin Effiom
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between Waste Management Practices and Health: A Comparative Analysis of Waste Burning Versus Composting in Calabar Municipal Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, involving 472 households selected through stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, t-test, and logistic regression. Results showed that waste burning was the predominant method (60.4%), followed by composting (26.9%). Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive association between waste burning frequency and reported respiratory illnesses (r = 0.432, p < 0.05), while composting frequency was negatively associated with adverse health outcomes (r = -0.216, p = 0.007). Independent samples t-test indicated that households engaging in waste burning experienced significantly poorer health outcomes (= 4.12, SD = 1.31) compared to those practicing composting (= 3.28, SD = 1.05; t = 6.842, p < 0.05). Logistic regression further identified age, education level, and income as significant predictors of waste management practice, while gender had no effect. The study recommends, among others, strengthening public health awareness, enforcing environmental policies against indiscriminate burning, and providing alternative waste management infrastructure such as composting facilities.