Drinking-water Handling Practices and Self-reported Illness Histories among Hostel-resident Undergraduates at a Federal University in Owerri, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: Drinking-water safety may be affected by collection, transportation, storage and handling after collection. Information on these behaviours among university hostel residents in southeastern Nigeria is limited. Objective: To describe drinking-water handling practices and self-reported histories of selected illnesses among undergraduates residing in three selected university hostels in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted between June and September 2026 among 525 undergraduates in three purposively selected hostels at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri. Seventeen water-handling items and five illness-history items were summarised using frequencies and percentages. No drinking-water microbiological testing or independent verification of illness histories was undertaken. Results: Of the 525 respondents, 205 (39.0%) were male and 320 (61.0%) were female. Boiling was reported by 78 (14.9%), point-of-use chlorination by 9 (1.7%), cleaning collection utensils with soap and water before each use by 64 (12.2%), and handwashing with soap before handling stored water by 218 (41.5%). Reported histories included diarrhoea in 329 (62.7%), typhoid in 406 (77.3%), dysentery in 131 (25.0%), gastroenteritis in 123 (23.4%), and hepatitis A–E of unspecified type in 9 (1.7%). Illness categories could overlap, and their recall periods and diagnostic bases were not established. Conclusion: Selected water-handling behaviours, including boiling and point-of-use chlorination, were infrequently reported, whereas covered containers were commonly reported. Illness responses represent unverified histories and cannot be interpreted as confirmed waterborne disease prevalence. The findings do not establish water contamination or an association between handling practices and illness.