Trash and Threat: Assessing Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Solid Waste Management among Rural Communities in Longhouse Sibu, Sarawak

Lim, Siong Hee and Sam Froze, Jiee and Dayang Suhana, Abang Madzhi (2026) Trash and Threat: Assessing Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Solid Waste Management among Rural Communities in Longhouse Sibu, Sarawak. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS), 10 (3). pp. 7954-7960. ISSN 2454-6186

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Abstract

Objective: To assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to solid waste management (SWM) among rural longhouse communities in Sibu, Sarawak, and to examine factors influencing behavioural outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted among 51 residents using universal sampling. Data were collected באמצעות a trilingual interviewer-administered questionnaire adapted from Eshete et al. (2023). Descriptive and inferential analyses (t-tests and Pearson correlations) were performed using SPSS Version 27.0, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Respondents demonstrated moderate knowledge, positive attitudes, and suboptimal practices. Knowledge was positively correlated with attitude (r = 0.424, p = 0.002) and practice (r = 0.371, p = 0.007). Age showed a significant negative association with all KAP domains. Despite high awareness, sustainable practices such as recycling (31.4%) and waste segregation (37.3%) remained low. Conclusion: The findings highlight a significant knowledge–practice gap driven by structural and contextual constraints. Interventions should prioritise community-based education, decentralised waste systems, and policy implementation tailored to rural settings.

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