Women's social position and their health : a case study of the social determinants of the health of women in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorJonny Myersen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorCooper, Dianeen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-11-13T13:03:28Z
dc.date.available2015-11-13T13:03:28Z
dc.date.issued1995en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis thesis examines the social determinants of women's health status, health knowledge and knowledge and use of health services in a peri-urban area, using Kbayelitsha in Cape Town, South Africa as a case study. It argues for the importance of women's health as a specific focus, looks at some trends in women's health internationally over the past two decades and reviews the main factors affecting women's health. Some key issues in women's health of special relevance to developing countries such as South Africa are discussed. There is a special focus on newly urbanised women in peri-urban areas. Against this background the results of a community-based survey, preceded by indepth interviews, and conducted amongst 659 women in Kbayelitsha in 1989 and 1990 are presented. Data collected were statistically analysed using unIvariate,, bivariate and multivariate analysis. A number of priority social and health problems are identified: poverty; poor environmental conditions; lack of education, partlcularly skills training appropriate for finding work and the subordinate social status of women. Major health concerns included reproductive tract infections, especially sexually transmitted diseases, infertility, contraceptive use and ante-natal care during pregnancy. There were inadequacies in cervical screening conducted by health services and deficiencies in respondents' knowledge of AIDS. cervical smears and where to obtain various health services . Young, newly urbanised women, living in the poorly serviced and unserviced informal housing areas were partlcularly vulnerable in their socio-economic and health status within a peri-urban African community such as Khayelitsha. They also had poorest health knowledge and least knowledge of where to acquire health services. Some recommended interventions focussing on certain of these areas are suggested. It is argued that changes in the provision of women's health services within a primary health care setting can only be part of the process of improving women's health. Improvements in women's economic status and their social status are fundamental to any initiatives to improve their health status.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationCooper, D. (1995). <i>Women's social position and their health : a case study of the social determinants of the health of women in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14955en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationCooper, Diane. <i>"Women's social position and their health : a case study of the social determinants of the health of women in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14955en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationCooper, D. 1995. Women's social position and their health : a case study of the social determinants of the health of women in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Cooper, Diane AB - This thesis examines the social determinants of women's health status, health knowledge and knowledge and use of health services in a peri-urban area, using Kbayelitsha in Cape Town, South Africa as a case study. It argues for the importance of women's health as a specific focus, looks at some trends in women's health internationally over the past two decades and reviews the main factors affecting women's health. Some key issues in women's health of special relevance to developing countries such as South Africa are discussed. There is a special focus on newly urbanised women in peri-urban areas. Against this background the results of a community-based survey, preceded by indepth interviews, and conducted amongst 659 women in Kbayelitsha in 1989 and 1990 are presented. Data collected were statistically analysed using unIvariate,, bivariate and multivariate analysis. A number of priority social and health problems are identified: poverty; poor environmental conditions; lack of education, partlcularly skills training appropriate for finding work and the subordinate social status of women. Major health concerns included reproductive tract infections, especially sexually transmitted diseases, infertility, contraceptive use and ante-natal care during pregnancy. There were inadequacies in cervical screening conducted by health services and deficiencies in respondents' knowledge of AIDS. cervical smears and where to obtain various health services . Young, newly urbanised women, living in the poorly serviced and unserviced informal housing areas were partlcularly vulnerable in their socio-economic and health status within a peri-urban African community such as Khayelitsha. They also had poorest health knowledge and least knowledge of where to acquire health services. Some recommended interventions focussing on certain of these areas are suggested. It is argued that changes in the provision of women's health services within a primary health care setting can only be part of the process of improving women's health. Improvements in women's economic status and their social status are fundamental to any initiatives to improve their health status. DA - 1995 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1995 T1 - Women's social position and their health : a case study of the social determinants of the health of women in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa TI - Women's social position and their health : a case study of the social determinants of the health of women in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14955 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/14955
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationCooper D. Women's social position and their health : a case study of the social determinants of the health of women in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 1995 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14955en_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.otherWomen - Health and hygieneen_ZA
dc.subject.otherWomen - Social conditionsen_ZA
dc.subject.otherCommunity health servicesen_ZA
dc.titleWomen's social position and their health : a case study of the social determinants of the health of women in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis_hsf_1995_cooper_diane (1).pdf
Size:
10.31 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
PhD / Doctoral