A nutritional and socio-economic study of Philippi farm children and their mothers during November 1986

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dc.contributor.advisorKlopper, J M Len_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWhittaker, Stuarten_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2018-02-01T13:35:49Z
dc.date.available2018-02-01T13:35:49Z
dc.date.issued1987en_ZA
dc.description.abstractA community based survey to determine the nutritional status using anthropometric methods, of children and mothers and to assess certain socio-economic factors was carried out during November and December 1986 in Philippi, a predominantly vegetable farming area. Twenty-one (43%) of the 49 vegetable farms which were included in the study were selected by stratified random sampling. All children in the 0-6 year age group and their parents on the selected farms were included in the sample which consisted of 129 children and 212 parents. Questionnaires were administered and subjects' weights and heights were measured. It was found that 47% of children were below the National Centre for Health Statistics 5th percentile weight for age and 58% were under the 5th percentile height for age. There were 47 child deaths out of 279 births over a six-year period, thirty-four of which had occurred in the first year of life. Twenty eight percent of children had a birth weight of less than 2.5 kg. The number of cases of tuberculosis (10%) and severe diarrhoea (31%) contracted within the first year of life is unacceptably high. Twenty four percent of mothers were malnourished in terms of body mass index and fifty five percent of mothers were illiterate. Fifty nine percent of mothers were regular farm workers who worked for an average of 10.2 hours per day and a wage of R0.44 per hour. Grossly inadequate facilities existed for the care of children while the mothers worked. The average amount spent on food was insufficient to maintain normal nutrition. Although 91.5% of mothers breast fed their children and fed for a mean duration of 13.4 months, breast feeding was not exclusive. Supplementary feeding was introduced on average at 3 months of age. The long working hours of working mothers made it difficult for them to breast feed their children satisfactorily. Acceptance of the family planning services was high and immunisation cover was good. These statistics reflect the effects of extreme poverty and neglect of a community which is totally reliant on its employers for its livelihood. The parents poor educational level, coupled with their meagre financial and other physical resources gives them and their children little opportunity to improve their station in life and leaves them open to the scrounge of malnutrition and disease. Similarly, the dearth of educational and other child care facilities will ensure that this disastrous trend continues. A multidisciplinary approach, including active community involvement of both farmers and workers, to the many physical and social problems is urgently needed if the unacceptable human suffering is to be stopped.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationWhittaker, S. (1987). <i>A nutritional and socio-economic study of Philippi farm children and their mothers during November 1986</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27220en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationWhittaker, Stuart. <i>"A nutritional and socio-economic study of Philippi farm children and their mothers during November 1986."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27220en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationWhittaker, S. 1987. A nutritional and socio-economic study of Philippi farm children and their mothers during November 1986. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Whittaker, Stuart AB - A community based survey to determine the nutritional status using anthropometric methods, of children and mothers and to assess certain socio-economic factors was carried out during November and December 1986 in Philippi, a predominantly vegetable farming area. Twenty-one (43%) of the 49 vegetable farms which were included in the study were selected by stratified random sampling. All children in the 0-6 year age group and their parents on the selected farms were included in the sample which consisted of 129 children and 212 parents. Questionnaires were administered and subjects' weights and heights were measured. It was found that 47% of children were below the National Centre for Health Statistics 5th percentile weight for age and 58% were under the 5th percentile height for age. There were 47 child deaths out of 279 births over a six-year period, thirty-four of which had occurred in the first year of life. Twenty eight percent of children had a birth weight of less than 2.5 kg. The number of cases of tuberculosis (10%) and severe diarrhoea (31%) contracted within the first year of life is unacceptably high. Twenty four percent of mothers were malnourished in terms of body mass index and fifty five percent of mothers were illiterate. Fifty nine percent of mothers were regular farm workers who worked for an average of 10.2 hours per day and a wage of R0.44 per hour. Grossly inadequate facilities existed for the care of children while the mothers worked. The average amount spent on food was insufficient to maintain normal nutrition. Although 91.5% of mothers breast fed their children and fed for a mean duration of 13.4 months, breast feeding was not exclusive. Supplementary feeding was introduced on average at 3 months of age. The long working hours of working mothers made it difficult for them to breast feed their children satisfactorily. Acceptance of the family planning services was high and immunisation cover was good. These statistics reflect the effects of extreme poverty and neglect of a community which is totally reliant on its employers for its livelihood. The parents poor educational level, coupled with their meagre financial and other physical resources gives them and their children little opportunity to improve their station in life and leaves them open to the scrounge of malnutrition and disease. Similarly, the dearth of educational and other child care facilities will ensure that this disastrous trend continues. A multidisciplinary approach, including active community involvement of both farmers and workers, to the many physical and social problems is urgently needed if the unacceptable human suffering is to be stopped. DA - 1987 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1987 T1 - A nutritional and socio-economic study of Philippi farm children and their mothers during November 1986 TI - A nutritional and socio-economic study of Philippi farm children and their mothers during November 1986 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27220 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/27220
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationWhittaker S. A nutritional and socio-economic study of Philippi farm children and their mothers during November 1986. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 1987 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27220en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Public Health and Family Medicineen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherCommunity Healthen_ZA
dc.subject.otherChildren - South Africa - Cape of Good Hope - Nutritionen_ZA
dc.subject.otherNutrition Surveys - South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.otherNutritional Status - South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.otherNutrition Disorders - South Africa - Philippien_ZA
dc.titleA nutritional and socio-economic study of Philippi farm children and their mothers during November 1986en_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMMeden_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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