scholarly journals Household transitions in rural South Africa, 1996—2003

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (69_suppl) ◽  
pp. 130-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Wittenberg ◽  
Mark A. Collinson

Aims: To investigate changes in household structure in rural South Africa over the period 1996—2003, a period marked by politico-structural change and an escalating HIV/AIDS epidemic. In particular, the authors examine whether there is dissolution of extended family living arrangements. Methods: Data from the Agincourt demographic surveillance system, in rural north-eastern South Africa, and the rural sub-samples of selected nationally representative data sets were used to compare changes in the cross-sectional distribution of household types. Surveillance system data were further analysed to estimate the transition probabilities between household types. The latent pressures for change within the Agincourt area were analysed by projecting the household transition probabilities forward and comparing the projected steady-state distributions to the current distributions. Results: The national surveys show dramatic changes in the social structure in rural areas, particularly an increase in the importance of single person households. These trends are not confirmed in the surveillance system data. The national ``changes'' can possibly be ascribed to changes in sampling frames or household definitions. The transition probabilities within the Agincourt area show considerable changes between household types, despite a slower change in the aggregate distributions. The most important projected long-run changes are an increase in the proportion of three-generation linear households. ``Simpler'' household types such as single person households and nuclear households will become relatively less common. Conclusions: The structure of households is evolving under the pressure of social change and increased mortality due to HIV/AIDS. There is no evidence, however, that the social fabric is unravelling or that individuals are becoming increasingly isolated residentially.

2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 431-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
VICTORIA HOSEGOOD ◽  
IAN M. TIMÆUS

This paper examines changes in households with older people in a northern rural area of KwaZulu Natal province, South Africa, between January 2000 and January 2002. The focus is the impact of adult deaths, especially those from AIDS, on the living arrangements of older people. The longitudinal data are from the Africa Centre Demographic Information System. In 2000, 3,657 older people (women aged 60 years or older, men 65 years or older) were resident in the area, and 3,124 households had at least one older member. The majority (87%) of older people lived in three-generation households. Households with older people were significantly poorer, more likely to be headed by a woman, and in homesteads with poorer quality infrastructure than households without older members. By January 2002, 316 (8%) of the older people in the sample had died. Of all the households with an older person, 12 per cent experienced at least one adult death from AIDS. The paper shows that older people, particularly those living alone or with children in the absence of other adults, were living in the poorest households. They were also coping with an increasing burden of young adult deaths, the majority of which were attributable to AIDS.


2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (69_suppl) ◽  
pp. 85-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangeetha Madhavan ◽  
Enid J. Schatz

Aim: To describe household change over a 10-year period of tremendous social, political, economic and health transformation in South Africa using data from the Agincourt health and demographic surveillance system in the rural northeast of South Africa. Methods: Examination of household structure and composition at three points: 1992, 1997, and 2003. These three years loosely represent conditions immediately before the elections (1992), short term post-elections (1997), and longer term (2003), and span a period of notable increase in HIV prevalence. Results: Average household size decreased and the proportion headed by females increased. The within-household dependency ratios for children and elders both decreased, as did the proportion of households containing foster children. The proportion with at least one maternal orphan doubled, but was still relatively small at 5.5%. Conclusions: This analysis is a starting point for future investigations aimed at explaining how HIV/AIDS and other sociocultural changes post-apartheid have impacted on household organization. The analysis shows both consistency and change in measures of household structure and composition between 1992 and 2003. The changes do not include an increase in various types of ``fragile families'', such as child-headed or skipped-generation households that might be expected due to HIV/AIDS.


2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Ogunmefun ◽  
Leah Gilbert ◽  
Enid Schatz

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 1112-1122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enid Schatz ◽  
Margaret Ralston ◽  
Sangeetha Madhavan ◽  
Mark A Collinson ◽  
F Xavier Gómez-Olivé

Abstract Objective A limited understanding exists of the relationship between disability and older persons’ living arrangements in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). We examine the associations between living arrangements, disability, and gender for individuals older than 50 years in rural South Africa. Method Using the Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) survey and Agincourt Health and socio-Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) data, we explore older persons’ self-reported disability by living arrangements and gender, paying particular attention to various multigenerational arrangements. Results Controlling for past disability status, a significant relationship between living arrangements and current disability remains, but is moderated by gender. Older persons in households where they may be more “productive” report higher levels of disability; there are fewer differences in women’s than men’s reported disability levels across living arrangement categories. Discussion This study underscores the need to examine living arrangements and disability through a gendered lens, with particular attention to heterogeneity among multigenerational living arrangements. Some living arrangements may take a greater toll on older persons than others. Important policy implications for South Africa and other LMICs emerge among vibrant debates about the role of social welfare programs in improving the health of older individuals.


2013 ◽  
Vol 77 ◽  
pp. 118-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Reynolds ◽  
Thomas Cousins ◽  
Marie-Louise Newell ◽  
John Imrie

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