Sustainable Clothing Practices and Household Wellbeing: A Mixed-Methods Study of Households in Abia State, Nigeria

The textile and clothing sector is a major contributor to global environmental waste, yet households in developing economies have long practised underexplored informal sustainability. This study examined the relationship between sustainable clothing practices and household wellbeing in Abia State, Nigeria, home to the internationally acclaimed Akwete weaving tradition. A cross-sectional convergent mixed-methods design was used: a structured questionnaire was administered to 200 households across three local government areas, alongside 25 key-informant interviews with weavers, tailors, traders, and household heads. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests of association (Cramer's V as effect size); qualitative data were analysed thematically. Sustainable practices were widely adopted, including clothing repair and repurposing (54.3 per cent), intra-family hand-me-downs (68.2 per cent), and conversion of fabric scraps into household products. Households practising comprehensive strategies estimated annual clothing-cost savings of 35 to 50 per cent relative to households relying mainly on new ready-to-wear purchases. Chi-square analyses showed that sustainable practices were significantly associated with each wellbeing dimension: household budget, χ²(4, N = 200) = 24.56, p < .001, V = .25; environmental health, χ²(4, N = 200) = 18.92, p = .001, V = .22; and family cohesion, χ²(4, N = 200) = 15.34, p = .004, V = .20. A significant negative association was found between second-hand (Okrika) purchasing and local fabric purchasing, χ²(4, N = 200) = 28.45, p < .001, V = .27. Sustainable clothing practices were positively and significantly associated with household wellbeing across economic, environmental, and social dimensions, though effect sizes were small to moderate and the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference. The study contributes locally grounded evidence on indigenous circular-economy practice in South-East Nigeria and supports promoting local textile production, integrating clothing sustainability into school curricula, and establishing community-based recycling initiatives.