African Population Studies (UAPS) / Etude de la Population Africaine (UEPA)
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Targeting Inequalities: A contribution of the Capability Approach to population studies
Get PDFThis paper introduces the objectives of the project presented in this Special Issue, i.e. to apply the Capability Approach (CA) to population studies to better understand growing disparities in human development and identify the best indicators to trace inequalities in opportunity. We present here the added value of the CA to population studies, than the characteristics of the two West African countries considered - Ghana and Mali – and, finally, the topics broached. Applying the CA implies a major shift from the classical analysis of the determinants of outcomes to a focus on the array of opportunities and disparities. The eight papers cover three major domains in social demography, especially in West Africa, and for which rich data sets are available: health, seen through risk factors and the spread of obesity; social integration expressed by professional activity and social participation; and family planning viewed in terms of contraception and birth spacing
Perspectives on socio-cultural context of adolescent reproductive health behaviour in Nigeria
Get PDFThis paper utilizes data collected using structured questionnaire, focus group discussion, Rapid Participatory Assessment (RPA) and in-depth interview with stakeholders to obtain information from adolescents on the context of their behaviour at family level, work place, school, the society. The aim was to appraise the changes in the socio-cultural context of adolescent sexual and reproductive health. The study which was carried out among 3,141 adolescents selected from the state capital, one medium-sized town and two villages in three Nigerian states indicates that: (i) premarital sexual behavior has become more common overtime, as Nigerian society has undergone marked social change (ii) most parents do not talk with their adolescent children about family life issues such as sex, pregnancy and contraception mainly because of cultural beliefs. Increasingly, religion and its insistence on chastity is now a dominant factor in adolescent sexual and reproductive health matters
The Capability Approach: A Framework for Population Studies
Get PDFThe aim of this paper is to present the main elements of the Capability Approach (CA) and discuss how and to what extent it can be a useful framework for capturing and analyzing population issues. Since the initial idea of Sen in 1979 to introduce the notion of human “capabilities” as a coherent alternative to measuring poverty, an extensive interdisciplinary school of thought has developed an analytical and normative framework that is outlined here in the first section. After introducing the CA, we sketch out a step-by-step procedure to use the CA in empirical analysis, focusing on the linkages among the plurality of circumstances at the individual, household and contextual levels. The fourth section discusses the approach shared by the CA and the population paradigm as formulated at the Cairo conference, which shifted away from aggregate indicators and biological functionings to a focus on choice and capabilities
Family planning counselling and use among clients seeking abortion services in private health facilities in Kenya
Get PDFThis paper examines family planning service provision and use among clients seeking abortion services in private health facilities in Kenya. Data are from observations of client-provider interactions and exit interviews conducted in May-June 2013 with 125 clients from 30 private clinics in Kisumu, Nairobi, and Mombasa counties. Analysis entails simple frequencies, cross-tabulations with Chi-square tests, and estimation of multivariate logistic regression models. The results show that: (1) although 78% of the clients had used family planning before, it was mostly short-acting methods such as condoms (44%), injectables (35%), oral (40%) and emergency (26%) pills; (2) providers did not counsel clients on family planning in 20% of the consultations while clients were offered a method in 47% of the consultations; and (3) among clients who had ever used family planning and accepted a method during the visit, 60% chose a different method with the shift being from short-acting to long-term methods
Gender in Nigeria’s development discourse: relevance of gender statistics
Get PDFIn spite of the various regional and international initiatives to promote gender equality, Africa remains a continent with poor gender statistics. This paper presents a reflective explorative discourse on the status of gender and gender statistics in Nigeria, using secondary data as well as a rapid assessment of six key organisations identified as drivers of the “gender agenda”. Our study shows that organisations and sectors mandated to provide leadership for the production and use of gender statistics in Nigeria lack basic technical competencies and show very little commitment to the engendering process. Production and access to gender statistics is still plagued by misunderstanding of the concept of gender as a planning tool, especially in the non-traditional sectors which have remained the domain of men. Extensive capacity building on gender statistics is necessary and urgent so as to document and begin to address the systemic imbalance caused by gender inequality both at national and regional levels; and to attain international goals on gender statistics. Advancing the goals of gender statistics in Nigeria is prime to its development agenda
Language, residential space and inequality in Cape Town: Broad-brush profiles and trends
Get PDFThis article uses South African census data for 1996, 2001 and 2011 to explore the relationship between language and demographic change in the metropolitan region of Cape Town. We begin with a conceptual and methodological discussion of the use of ‘language’ as a demographic variable, before commencing with a GIS based analysis of the changing relationship between ‘household language’ and selected census variables associated with post-apartheid demographic change. We focus particular attention on variables selected to shed light on urban inequality, such as education level, income, race and in-migration. Data on adults at ward level in Cape Town is used to develop a comparative spatial context for this analysis. Our main finding is a significant level of continuity between 1996 and 2011 with respect to the geo-social patterning of the three main languages in the metro: Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa. We argue that English and Afrikaans have retained status through proximity to key development corridors. We explain this trend in terms of different streams of migrants, settling at different times and in different regions of the city
Prevalence and Predictors of elder abuse in Mafikeng Local Municipality in South Africa
Get PDFElder abuse is widespread in South Africa and is a serious public health problem. This paper estimated the prevalence and identified the forms and predictors of elder abuse. The paper used cross-sectional data on 506 elderly people from Mafikeng Local Municipality in South Africa, and used the chi-square statistic and the logistic regression model to analyse the data. Overall 64.3% of men and 60.3% of women experienced elder abuse. Physical abuse was more common among men while emotional, financial and sexual abuses were more common among women. Having no working children, being currently single, living in elderly couple family, living in rural areas, having a poor self-perception of health and having a disability were significantly associated with elder abuse. We conclude that the prevalence of elder abuse is high and common, which calls for strategies to prevent the vice
HIV/AIDS-related stigma and HIV test uptake in Ghana: evidence from the 2008 Demographic and Health Survey
Get PDFThe study examined the association between HIV test uptake and socioeconomic characteristics of individuals, including HIV-related stigma behaviours. The study also investigated the socioeconomic determinants of HIV-related stigma in Ghana. Cross tabulations and logistic regression techniques were applied to data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. The results showed significantly low HIV test uptake and some level of HIV-related stigma prevalence in Ghana. Higher wealth status, educational attainment and HIV-related stigma were significant determinants of HIV test uptake. Aside wealth status and education, rural place of residence and religious affiliation were positive and significant determinants of HIV-related stigma. The findings call for comprehensive HIV education including treatment, prevention and care. Legislations to discourage stigma and improve HIV-testing will be critical policy steps in the right direction.
Determinants of the Recent Rise in Childhood Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys, 1990 – 2003
Get PDFChildhood mortality rates in Kenya increased in the 1990s and early 2000s. Evidence from Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) data shows increase in under-5 mortality rate by 26 percent from 91 in 1993 to 115 in 2003. This study examined factors associated with the rise in childhood mortality in Kenya. Micro-level data were obtained from KDHS. Macro-level data were gathered from government administrative records and comprised indicators of access and utilization of health services. Proportional hazards model was used to deconstruct factors associated with rise in childhood mortality. The results showed that that macro factors, particularly high HIV/AIDS prevalence and the general deterioration in the quality of childcare, were largely responsible for the rise in childhood mortality in the 1990s and early 2000s. Other factors believed to be also strongly associated with early childhood deaths during this period include malaria prevalence and subnational differences in culture and child care practices.
Niveau et facteurs de ruptures des premières unions conjugales au Burkina Faso
Get PDFNous avons utilisé les données d’enquêtes biographiques individuelle et communautaire pour examiner le niveau et les facteurs de risque de divorce au Burkina Faso. Les résultats révèlent que le divorce y est moins fréquent que dans certains pays d’Afrique subsaharienne, mais le niveau augmente au sein des jeunes générations de mariage. Environ une femme sur dix rompt sa première union au cours de 30 ans de mariage. L’analyse par la régression semi-paramétrique à risque proportionnel de Cox indique que les facteurs de risque de divorce se situent à la fois au niveau individuel et communautaire. Les résultats montrent que les variables liées au cycle de vie familial et matrimonial (infécondité, mariage précoce), à la modernisation (urbanisation, désenclavement du lieu de résidence) et au statut socioéconomique de la femme (autonomie financière) sont des facteurs associés à un plus grand risque de ruptures d'unions. Les facteurs culturels (religion, socialisation, ethnie) introduisent aussi des différences de risque de divorce.