Assessment of the relationship between bacteriological quality of dug-wells, hygiene behaviour and well characteristics in two cholera endemic localities in Douala, Cameroon

Table 4 Relationship between well characteristics and total coliform counts of samples

Characteristic	Category	Mean counts (CFU/ml)	SE Mean	StDev	Range (CFU/ml)	Correlation coefficient (P value)
Condition of well aperture	Covered	1.98 × 10³	186	2651	0-1.1 × 10⁴
Condition of well aperture	Not covered	2.14 × 10³	163	2561	0- 1.4 × 10⁴
Height of well casing above the ground (m)	0.00	1. 99 × 10³	536	2783	2.0 × 10¹- 1.10 × 10⁴	+0.041 (0.205)
	0.1-0.59	1.99 × 10³	184	2654	0-1.40 × 10⁴	+0.041 (0.205)
	≥0.60	2.15 × 10³	172	2534	0-1.05 × 10⁴	−0.154 (0.000)
Distance between well and sanitary structure (m)	1.0-10.00	2.24 × 10³	148	2658	0- 1.40 × 10⁴
	10.1-15.00	1.59 × 10³	226	2352	0-1.10 × 10⁴
	≥15.00	1.73 × 10³	642	2723	6.0 × 10¹ – 9.0 × 10⁴
State of well	New	2.07 × 10³	473	2458	2.0 × 10¹- 8.9 × 10³
	Fairly old	1.58 × 10³	189	2200	0-1.10 × 10⁴
	Old	2.31 × 10³	164	2769	0-1.40 × 10⁴
Presence of molded casing	No	2.03 × 10³	262	2483	2.0 × 10¹- 1.40 × 10⁴
	Yes	2.09 × 10³	140	2641	0-1.10 × 10³

Well aperture (χ² = 0.888, df = 1, P = 0.346). Well height (χ² = 0.658, df = 2, P = 0.720). Distance well-pit latrine (χ² = 0.568, df = 2, P = 0.753). State of well (χ² = 3.105, df = 2, P = 0.212). Well casing (χ² = 2.579, df = 1, P = 0.108).

ISSN: 1471-2458