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Table 2 Housing characteristics and living conditions of the study participants, Greater Accra Region, Ghana, 2012

From: Residential characteristics as correlates of occupants’ health in the greater Accra region, Ghana

Variable

Self-rated health

 

Good health Frequency (%)

Poor health Frequency (%)

Physical structure (n = 500)

  

  Cement/concrete

367 (95.1)

19 (4.9)

  Brick/mud/wood

107 (93.8)

7 (6.2)

Roofing material (n = 500)

  

  Aluminum sheets

278 (94.6)

16 (5.4)

  Asbestos/clay/thatch

196 (95.1)

10 (4.9)

Ventilation (n = 500)

  

  <2 windows

74 (91.4)

7 (8.6)

  2+ windows

400 (95.5)

19 (4.5)

House type (n = 500)

  

  Self-contained*

242 (97.2)

7 (2.8)

  Single family detached

61 (93.8)

4 (6.2)

  Compound

110 (94.0)

7 (6.0)

  Kiosk/container/other

61 (88.4)

8 (11.6)

House age (n = 498)

  

  ≤10 years

172 (96.1)

7 (3.9)

  >10 years

151 (94.4)

9 (5.6)

  Don’t know

149 (93.7)

10 (6.3)

Duration of residence (n = 494)

  

  ≤6 months

52 (92.9)

4 (7.1)

  >6 months

417 (95.2)

21 (4.8)

Occupancy at 2ppr** (n = 500)

  

  1-2 ppr

302 (95.6)

14 (4.4)

  >2 ppr

172 (93.5)

12 (6.5)

Repair required (n = 496)

  

  Yes

197 (90.4)

21 (9.6)

  No

273 (98.2)

5 (1.8)

House tenure (n = 499)

  

  Owner/caretaker

276 (94.8)

15 (5.2)

  Renter

197 (94.7)

11 (5.3)

Affordability of rent (n = 497)

  

  Yes

121 (96.5)

5 (4.0)

  No

82 (94.3)

5 (5.7)

  Not applicable

269 (94.7)

15 (5.3)

Privacy (n = 500)

  

  Yes

403 (97.3)

11 (2.7)

  No

71 (82.6)

15 (17.4)

Electricity (n = 500)

  

  Regular

255 (94.8)

14 (5.2)

  Irregular

219 (94.8)

12 (5.2)

Primary water source (n = 500)

  

  Pipe/borehole

318 (94.6)

18 (5.4)

  Vended/stream/rainwater

156 (95.1)

8 (4.9)

  Refuse disposal system (n = 499)

  

  House to house by service provider

195 (92.9)

15 (7.1)

  Traditional methods/communal collection

289 (96.2)

4 (3.8)

Type of sanitation facility (n = 496)

  

  Flush to septic tank

288 (97.3)

8 (2.7)

  Pan latrine

102 (91.1)

10 (8.9)

  Pit latrine/open defaecation

77 (91.7)

7 (8.3)

  KVIP***

3 (75.0)

1 (25.0)

Sanitary facility in the house (n = 500)

  

  Present

333 (96.2)

13 (3.8)

  Absent

141 (91.6)

13 (8.4)

Sanitation facility shared (n = 500)

  

  Yes

211 (92.5)

17 (7.5)

  No

263 (96.7)

9 (3.3)

Environmental sanitation

  

  Satisfactory

321 (95.8)

14 (4.2)

  Not satisfactory

153 (92.7)

12 (7.3)

  1. *self-contained houses have kitchen and sanitation facilities ensuite, **ppr = persons per room, ***Kumasi ventilated pit toilet(a double chambered pit toilet).