Health Risk Awareness of Electronic Waste: A Cross-sectional Study among Smartphone Users in the Lake Zone, Tanzania

Abstract

Introduction: Electronic waste (e-waste) poses a growing global concern with significant health and environmental implications. This study examined e-waste awareness among smartphone users in Tanzania's Lake Zone using phones with e-waste components. Methods: A cross-sectional study categorized participants into three groups: agricultural farmers, smartphone traders, and livestock keepers. The research took place from May to June 2023, involving a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire that integrated a combination of open-ended and closed-ended questions for data collection. The study investigates e-waste health risk awareness among 288 smartphone users, including 71 business owners, 115 farmers, and 102 livestock keepers. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather data on sociodemographics and e-waste-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices). The data were analyzed through two-way analysis of variance. Results: Among the 288 surveyed smartphone users, 56.2% (n = 162) were males, 43.8% (n = 126) were females, and 60.1% (n = 173) were young adults aged 18–37 years. Phone usage experience is positively correlated with higher. However, its effects on attitudes (P = 0.148, ŋ² = 0.19) and practices (P = 0.086, ŋ² = 0.24) are relatively smaller. In addition, urban residential location impacts knowledge (P = 0.006, ŋ² 0.15) and attitudes (P = 0.003, ŋ² 0.08) related to e-waste health risks but does not significantly affect e-waste-related practices P = 0.095, ŋ² = 0.09). Conclusion: Initiatives should target individuals with limited smartphone exposure, addressing knowledge gaps while considering the geographical context and challenges in both rural and urban areas to improve e-waste awareness.