Factors that Affect the Adoption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas in Kinondoni Municipality, Tanzania

Abstract

Identification of the factors affecting the adoption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is necessary in creating enabling environment for promoting LPG usage in Tanzania. This paper examines factors that affect the adoption of LPG in the jurisdiction of Kinondoni Municipal Council; one of the five municipalities in the city of Dar es Salaam. A cross-sectional research design, involving 466 households from three wards (Msasani, Kijitonyama and Tandale) was employed to capture qualitative and quantitative data. Content analysis was carried out using the Likert scale to observe perceived factors affecting the adoption of LPG. Chi square test and binary logistic regression were performed to examine the likelihood of the adoption of LPG to occur. The findings suggest that at the micro level, several factors do affect the adoption of LPG, but different individuals have different perceptions based on personal experiences. Uncovered factors include the quantity of sell, household income, household size, and the level of awareness. At the macro level, fuel availability is assumed to play an important role in determining the adoption and usage of LPG. Chi square test shows the association between different variables and LPG usage; while logistic regression reveals two variables—education and household expenditure (proxy for income)—as significant factors. The study recommends that the creation of enabling environment for LPG usage in the municipality should pay more attention to issues related to education and income.

Keywords: liquefied petroleum gas, adoption, factors, enabling environment