Assessing the challenges of utilizing fluoride filtered water and its factors, in Ethiopian central rift valley, Dugda district, Oromia region, south west Ethiopia,2019: A cross sectional study.

Abstract Background: The high level of fluoride in the Rift Valley water is due to naturally occurring fluoride that dissolves out of certain acidic volcanic rock formations. However, the utilization of drinking fluoride filtered water with appropriate level of fluoride provides more than 60% of fluoride required by the body. Dugda district is one of the parts of Ethiopian central rift valley(ECRV) that have high fluoride up to 14mg/l in their groundwater source. There are 11 village sized de-fluoridation schemes in Dugda district. Sothe aim of this study was to assess the challenges of utilizing fluoride filtered water, and associated factors, in Ethiopian rift valley, Oromia region, North East Shaw Zone, Dugdadistrict. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design complemented with the qualitative study was conducted from April 11-30, 2018Girigorian Colander. A total of 417 head of households were selected randomly for survey questioner interview,and six in-depth interviews were done with different water and sanitation experts at office level and 12 community key informant interview had done. Result:In this study, 56.3% of the studded participants utilized fluoride filtered water for drinking and cooking foods.Household with a family history of no fluorosis problem had a statically significant association with utilizing fluoride filtered water 44.4 times (AOR 44.42, CI, (18.83, 24.74) more likely utilized fluoride filter water as compared to their counterpart. More than three forth 321(79.3%) households prefer to utilize filtered water from the newly established filtering techniques so-called HAP (Hydroxyl Appetite Filter), but in practice only181(44.7%), 47(11.6%) utilizetheir water from HAP and bonechar fluoride filteringtechniques respectively. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that those H/H utilized community level florid filterwater regularly were less likely affected by fluorosis problem than those H/H not utilized there drinking water from community level florid filter. Accessibility and type of fluoride filtering options were most challenging factors to utilize fluoride filtered water by households.