Hostel Sanitation Practices and Challenges among Undergraduates in a Selected University, South-South Nigeria

The study investigated hostel Sanitation practices and the associated challenges among undergraduate students in College of Health Sciences, Niger Delta University in Bayelsa State, South-South Nigeria. Descriptive Survey Design was used. Sample consisted of 225 respondents selected by multi-stage sampling technique, using Taro Yamane's formula, from the target population of 704 in-hostel students of the College during 2022/2023 session. Data were collected with a self-structured close-ended questionnaire and observation checklist. Data were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21.0. Inferential statistics was employed to analyze the data. Result showed that out of 255 participants, a substantial proportion were; aged 22-25years(50.6%), females(77.3%), 400level students(32.2%), and of the Faculty of Nursing (30.2%). Most of the participants (67.5%), demonstrated that undergraduates in the hostels carried out sanitary practices such as cleaning of their personal space daily, (55.7%), emptied garbage bins daily, (67.5%) flushed toilets after urination and defecation, and (74.1%) tried to generally clean up their hostels The findings also revealed that although undergraduates in the hostels carry out sanitary practices, they were faced with challenges such as inadequate water supply (61.2%), inadequate number of toilets (56.9%), Absenteeism of hostel cleaners (54.1%) and inadequate refuse management system (48.6%). The findings also indicated the student's suggestions to address the challenges were: proper maintenance of water supply system (76.8%), construction of new toilets and renovation of old toilets (60.6%) sanctioning absent hostel cleaners (57.1%), and proper refuse management system (55.9%) as solution to the challenges facing hostel sanitation practices. The study concluded that the in-hostel students of College of Health Sciences, Niger Delta University demonstrate hostel sanitation practices though inadequately and limited by some challenges. The study recommended that the University Authority should pay more attention to effective and adequate sanitation in the students’ hostel for better health of the students and those in their environ