ArticlePloS one2019
What motivates open defecation? A qualitative study from a rural setting in Nepal.
Article in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effectiveness of community and school-based sanitation interventions in improving latrine coverage: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled interventions.Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2021Pooled it
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- Cumulative Incidence of Dysentery Among Under-Five Children in Underprivileged Urban Areas of Bhopal: A One-Year Cohort Study.Indian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine · 2025Article
- Hygiene behaviours are critical for addressing neglected tropical diseases.Nature human behaviour · 2025Article
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- Contextual and psychosocial factors predicting sanitation behaviours in rural Indonesia.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in a Conflict Area: A Cross-Sectional Study in South Kordofan, Sudan.Journal of epidemiology and global health · 2025Article
- Household ownership of latrines does not ensure use: a scoping review.BMJ public health · 2025Article
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- Sanitation-related withholding and suppression among women in urban Uganda and India.Nature water · 2025Article
- Prevalence of Open Defecation Practice and Associated Factors Among Households in Geshiyaro Project Implementation Sites in Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.Environmental health insights · 2024Article
- Determinants of Open Defecation Among Rural Women in Ghana: Analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys.Environmental health insights · 2024Article
- Development of a behaviour change intervention to promote sanitation and latrine use in rural India.BMC public health · 2023Review
- Socio-economic factors associated with open defecation among agricultural households: a cross-sectional study in Haiti.BMJ public health · 2023Article
- The effect of a health extension program on improving water, sanitation, and hygiene practices in rural Ethiopia.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- The Status of Sanitation in Malawi: Is SDG6.2 Achievable?International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Demographic, social and economic factors affecting the adoption of green toilets among rural households in India.Environment, development and sustainability · 2023Article
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10 authors.
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Abstract
introductionOpen defecation is ongoing in Nepal despite the rise in efforts for increasing latrine coverage and its use. Understanding the reasons for open defecation would complement the ongoing efforts to achieve the 'open defecation free' status in Nepal. This study aimed at exploring different motivations of people who practice open defecation in a village in Nepal.
methodsThis study was conducted among the people from the Hattimudha village in Morang district of eastern Nepal, who practiced open defecation. Maximum variation sampling method was used to recruit participants for 20 in-depth interviews and 2 focus group discussions. We adopted a content analysis approach to analyze the data.
resultsWe categorized different reasons for open defecation as motivation by choice and motivation by compulsion. Open defecation by choice as is expressed as a medium for socializing, a habit and an enjoyable outdoor activity that complies with spiritual and religious norms. Open defecation by compulsion include reasons such as not having a latrine at home or having an alternative use for the latrine structures. Despite having a private latrine at home or access to a public latrine, people were compelled to practice open defecation due to constraints of norms restricting latrine use and hygiene issues in general. For women the issues with privacy and issues refraining women to use the same latrine as men compelled women to look for open defecation places.
conclusionOpen defecation is either a voluntary choice or a compulsion. This choice is closely linked with personal preferences, cultural and traditional norms with special concerns for privacy for women and girls in different communities. The ongoing campaigns to promote latrine construction and its use needs to carefully consider these factors in order to reduce the open defecation practices and increase the use of sanitary latrines.
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