Behavioural determinants of using fluoride removal filters in rural Ethiopia

The occurrence of high fluoride concentration in ground - and surface water of the Ethiopian Rift Valley leads to the risk of developing dental and skeletal fluorosis. Bone char filtration is a simple, efficient and low cost technology to remove fluoride out of drinking water. In six project areas in the Ethiopian Rift Valley, fluoride removal household filters on the basis of bone char material have been implemented. This study examines possible predictors of consuming filtered water derived from various behavior change theories. In a complete survey, all filter beneficiaries were interviewed through structured face-to-face interviews. Logistic regressions were carried out to reveal factors predicting the filter use. The results show that the consumption of only filtered water is mainly related to normative beliefs concerning guests and perceived behavioral control in terms of filter capacity. Based on the results, possible intervention practices are discussed.