Poor housing, good health: a comparison of formal and informal housing in Johannesburg, South Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 625-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thea de Wet ◽  
Sophie Plagerson ◽  
Trudy Harpham ◽  
Angela Mathee
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Informal Housing

scholarly journals Gender difference in trends in healthy life expectancy in 2005-2012 for adults aged 50 years and older in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Witness Chirinda ◽  
Yasuhiko Saito ◽  
Danan Gu ◽  
Nompumelelo Zungu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Older People ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Gender Disparities ◽  
Healthy Life Expectancy ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthy Life ◽  
Fiscal Planning ◽  
Using Data

Data characterizing older people’s life expectancy by good or poor health isimportant for policy and fiscal planning. This study aims to examine trends and investigategender differences in healthy life expectancy (HLE) for older people in South Africa for theperiod 2005–2012. Using data from three repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2005,2008, and 2012, we applied a self-rated health measure to estimating HLE. The Sullivanmethod was used in the calculations. We found that unhealthy life expectancy decreased overthe period, while HLE and the proportion of life spent in good health increased more thantotal life expectancy in the same period. Gender disparities were evident: Women had higherlife expectancy than men, yet they spent a greater proportion of their lifetime in poor health.We concluded that HLE of older people in South Africa has improved over the period underinvestigation.

scholarly journals Helicopter-based censusing of domestic dogs in Gauteng Province, South Africa

2000 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
B.K. Reilly ◽  
F. Van der Vyver
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Domestic Dogs ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Informal Housing ◽  
Density Estimates ◽  
Precision And Accuracy ◽  
Veterinary Epidemiology

Decision support in veterinary epidemiology often depends on density estimates of domestic animals. These estimates are usually based on ground surveys of various types. Ground surveys are difficult to undertake in the informal housing settlements that are frequently encountered in developing countries. In addition, they are time-consuming and expensive. In this study, field experience in enumerating wildlife from helicopters was used to count domestic animals in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Data for domestic dogs are analysed for precision and accuracy and the technique evaluated in terms of its value for decision support.

scholarly journals Ukuphumelela: Flourishing and the pursuit of a good life, and good health, in Soweto, South Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 100022
Author(s):  
Lindile Cele ◽  
Sarah S. Willen ◽  
Maydha Dhanuka ◽  
Emily Mendenhall
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Good Life ◽  
Good Health

scholarly journals Self-reported activities of daily living, health and quality of life among older adults in South Africa and Uganda: a cross sectional study

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanni Yaya ◽  
Dina Idriss-Wheeler ◽  
N’doh Ashken Sanogo ◽  
Maude Vezina ◽  
Ghose Bishwajit
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Reported Health

Abstract Background Difficulties in performing the activities of daily living (ADL) are common among middle-aged and older adults. Inability to perform the basic tasks as well as increased healthcare expenditure and dependence on care can have debilitating effects on health and quality of life. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between self-reported difficulty in activities of daily living (ADL), health and quality of life among community-dwelling, older population in South Africa and Uganda. Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data on 1495 men and women from South Africa (n = 514) and Uganda (n = 981) which were extracted from the SAGE Well-Being of Older People Study (WOPS 2011–13). Outcome variables were self-reported health and quality of life (QoL). Difficulty in ADL was assessed by self-reported answers on 12 different questions covering various physical and cognitive aspects. The association between self-reported health and quality of life with ADL difficulties was calculated by using multivariable logistic regression models. Results Overall percentage of good health and good quality of life was 40.4% and 20%, respectively. The percentage of respondents who had 1–3, 3–6, > 6 ADL difficulties were 42.4%7, 30.97% and 14.85%, respectively. In South Africa, having > 6 ADL difficulties was associated with lower odds of good health among men [Odds ratio = 0.331, 95%CI = 0.245,0.448] and quality of life among men [Odds ratio = 0.609, 95%CI = 0.424,0.874] and women [Odds ratio = 0.129, 95%CI = 0.0697,0.240]. In Uganda, having > 6 ADL difficulties was associated lower odds of good health [Odds ratio = 0.364, 95%CI = 0.159,0.835] and quality of life [Odds ratio = 0.584, 95%CI = 0.357,0.954]. Conclusion This study concludes that difficulty in ADL has a significant negative association with health and quality of life among community-dwelling older population (> 50 years) in South Africa and Uganda. The sex differences support previous findings on differential health outcomes among men and women, and underline the importance of designing sex-specific health intervention programs.

scholarly journals TOO SICK TO START: ENTREPRENEUR'S HEALTH AND BUSINESS ENTRY IN TOWNSHIPS AROUND DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (02) ◽  
pp. 231-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
LI-WEI CHAO ◽  
HELENA SZREK ◽  
NUNO SOUSA PEREIRA ◽  
MARK V. PAULY
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Knowledge Capital ◽  
Specific Knowledge ◽  
New Business ◽  
Study Interval ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Baseline Health

Unlike large firms with management teams, small businesses are usually run by one key person, the owner-entrepreneur, who bears almost all of the risks and makes most of the decisions related to the business. Because the owner-entrepreneur also embodies most of the firm-specific knowledge capital, health of the owner-entrepreneur is an important factor in the production process. Following a cohort of respondents in townships around Durban, South Africa, over a three-year period, we examined the relationship between an individual's physical health and the decision to start a business. Our results suggest respondents who were recent business entrants were in better health than respondents who did not start new businesses. Moreover, respondents without a business at the beginning of the study who later opened businesses during the study interval were significantly more likely to have better baseline health than those respondents who never started a new business. Hence, good health among entrepreneurs seems to be an important prerequisite to small business entry.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Living Conditions at eZakheleni Informal Settlement of Durban: Implications for Community Revitalization in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2371
Author(s):  
Busisiwe Nkonki-Mandleni ◽  
Abiodun Olusola Omotayo ◽  
David Ikponmwosa Ighodaro ◽  
Samuel Babatunde Agbola
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Educational Status ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Living Condition ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Water Accessibility ◽  
Housing Services

This study investigated the living conditions of the eZakheleni informal settlement, Durban metropolis of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. The utilized data were collected with the use of a well-structured questionnaire through a multistage sampling of 255 households. The descriptive results indicated low levels of educational attainment, large number of female headed households, high unemployment rates, inadequate sources of income, poor security and low government intervention programmes. The results of inferential analysis indicate that factors such as water accessibility, toilet accessibility, years of working experience, food security status, educational status and access to good health were the significant factors that were key to improving the living conditions of the residents in the study area. The study therefore concluded that education, basic housing services (water accessibility, toilet accessibility), food security, working experience, social connectivity and health are key contributors to households’ living condition in the study area and recommended several future research and policy directions which could improve the living conditions of the informal settlement.

scholarly journals Income-related health inequalities associated with the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa: A decomposition analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chijioke O. Nwosu ◽  
Adeola Oyenubi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Health Inequality ◽  
National Income ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Income Loss ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Self Assessed Health

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in an enormous dislocation of society especially in South Africa. The South African government has imposed a number of measures aimed at controlling the pandemic, chief being a nationwide lockdown. This has resulted in income loss for individuals and firms, with vulnerable populations (low earners, those in informal and precarious employment, etc.) more likely to be adversely affected through job losses and the resulting income loss. Income loss will likely result in reduced ability to access healthcare and a nutritious diet, thus adversely affecting health outcomes. Given the foregoing, we hypothesize that the economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus will disproportionately affect the health of the poor. Methods Using the fifth wave of the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) dataset conducted in 2017 and the first wave of the NIDS-Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM) dataset conducted in May/June 2020, this paper estimated income-related health inequalities in South Africa before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health was a dichotomized self-assessed health measure, with fair and poor health categorized as “poor” health, while excellent, very good and good health were categorized as “better” health. Household per capita income was used as the ranking variable. Concentration curves and indices were used to depict the income-related health inequalities. Furthermore, we decomposed the COVID-19 era income-related health inequality in order to ascertain the significant predictors of such inequality. Results The results indicate that poor health was pro-poor in the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods, with the latter six times the value of the former. Being African (relative to white), per capita household income and household experience of hunger significantly predicted income-related health inequalities in the COVID-19 era (contributing 130%, 46% and 9% respectively to the inequalities), while being in paid employment had a nontrivial but statistically insignificant contribution (13%) to health inequality. Conclusions Given the significance and magnitude of race, hunger, income and employment in determining socioeconomic inequalities in poor health, addressing racial disparities and hunger, income inequality and unemployment will likely mitigate income-related health inequalities in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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