The impact of female employment on fertility in Dakar (Senegal) and Lomé (Togo)

This paper investigates the impact of female employment on fertility in two urban contexts in sub-Saharan Africa: Dakar (Senegal) and Lomé (Togo). The hypothesis that wage employment and maternal obligations are incompatible seems to be corroborated in Lomé, where women are likely to consider work as a legitimate alternative to their role as a mother or spouse. Being involved in economic activity is a real option and can therefore impact upon their reproductive life. By contrast, in Dakar working does not seem to hinder family formation. Greater involvement of women in the labour force is not the main reason for fertility decline in Dakar. These findings illustrate how important it is to consider social gender-specific roles in order to accurately determine the influence of female employment on reproductive life.Africa, Dakar, employment, event history analysis, fertility, gender roles, Lomé, maternal role incompatibility, Senegal, Sub-Saharan Africa, Togo, women

Does Mother\u27s Migrant Status Affect Child Fostering in sub-Saharan Africa?: Evidence from Two Informal Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya

Poster Presentation Children across sub-Saharan Africa reside in a variety of different living arrangements. In slum communities with high rates of circular migration and urban poverty, parents may choose alternative living arrangements for young children other than co-residence. Despite the importance of residence for child well-being, we know relatively little about the number of children out-fostered from slums and with whom they reside. Using birth history data from the Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System collected between 2005 and 2009, we will determine percentages of children under 15 living away from their mothers by mothers’ migrant status and duration of stay. We use logistic regression to analyze characteristics of migrant and non-migrant mothers in order to determine what may influence child fosterage out of Nairobi’s slum settlements. We find approximately 15% of children under age 15 live apart from their mothers, with mothers’ socio-demographic characteristics, child’s age, and mother’s migrant status associated with child fostering

Migration and sexual behaviour among youth in Nairobi’s slum areas

Migration remains an important event in the urbanization process. However, research evidence indicates that migration is associated with negative outcomes. For migrant youth, migration often coincides with leaving home and divesting of parental authority and controls. This study investigates migration as a determinant of risky sexual behaviours and the factors influencing the timing of first sex among migrant youth. We used data collected between 2006 and 2008 from youth aged 12-22 years living in two slums in Nairobi. We use Cox proportional hazards model for timing of first sex among migrants and logistic regression for determinants of risky sexual behaviour. Migration is important for number of sexual partners but not for sexual debut. The risk of initiating first sex soon after in-migration is higher for youth with problem behaviour. Among adolescents in Nairobi’s slums, migration is not associated with a higher risk of engaging in risky sexual behaviour. However, youth with problem behaviour face a higher risk of initiating sex soon after migration

Growing Up at the “Margins”: Concerns, Aspirations, and Expectations of Young People Living in Nairobi's Slums

We explore the concerns, challenges, aspirations, and expectations of sub-Saharan African youth, and investigate how these youth cope with neighborhood constraints to aspiration achievement. We draw on cross-sectional survey data from 4033 12-22 year olds (50.3% males) from two Kenyan urban slums and subsequent in-depth interviews conducted with a subset of 75 youth when they were 13-24 years old (45.3% male). We observe that despite the challenges characteristic of urban slums, some youth maintain high aspirations and try to achieve them through education, delinquency, residential mobility, and religion. We note that others adjust their aspirations to account for limited opportunities. Overall, our findings highlight positive youth agency and underscore the need to improve the quality of life in urban slums

Migration and allergic diseases in a rural area of a developing country.

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2017-02-10T17:02:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Rodriguez A Migration and allergic....pdf: 149809 bytes, checksum: dd2e77d239dd95d5fbf01198a195d13a (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2017-02-10T17:40:30Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Rodriguez A Migration and allergic....pdf: 149809 bytes, checksum: dd2e77d239dd95d5fbf01198a195d13a (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-10T17:40:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rodriguez A Migration and allergic....pdf: 149809 bytes, checksum: dd2e77d239dd95d5fbf01198a195d13a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016Wellcome Trust (grant nos. 072405/Z/03/Z and 088862/Z/09/Z).Laboratorio de Investigaci on FEPIS. Quinind e, Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador / Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. London, United Kingdom / Universidad Internacional del Ecuador. Facultad de Ciencias Medicas de la Salud y la Vida. Quito, EcuadorLaboratorio de Investigaci on FEPIS. Quinind e, Esmeraldas Province, EcuadorLaboratorio de Investigaci on FEPIS. Quinind e, Esmeraldas Province, EcuadorFaculty of Epidemiology and Population Health. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. London, United KingdomFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Instituto de Saúde Coletiva. Salvador, BA, BrasilLaboratorio de Investigaci on FEPIS. Quinind e, Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador / Universidad Internacional del Ecuador. Facultad de Ciencias Medicas de la Salud y la Vida. Quito, Ecuador / St George’s University of London. Institute of Infection and Immunity. London, United Kingdo

Overview of migration, poverty and health dynamics in Nairobi City's slum settlements

The Urbanization, Poverty, and Health Dynamics research program was designed to generate and provide the evidence base that would help governments, development partners, and other stakeholders understand how the urban slum context affects health outcomes in order to stimulate policy and action for uplifting the wellbeing of slum residents. The program was nested into the Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System, a uniquely rich longitudinal research platform, set up in Korogocho and Viwandani slum settlements in Nairobi city, Kenya. Findings provide rich insights on the context in which slum dwellers live and how poverty and migration status interacts with health issues over the life course. Contrary to popular opinions and beliefs that see slums as homogenous residential entities, the findings paint a picture of a highly dynamic and heterogeneous setting. While slum populations are highly mobile, about half of the population comprises relatively well doing long-term dwellers who have lived in slum settlements for over 10 years. The poor health outcomes that slum residents exhibit at all stages of the life course are rooted in three key characteristics of slum settlements: poor environmental conditions and infrastructure; limited access to services due to lack of income to pay for treatment and preventive services; and reliance on poor quality and mostly informal and unregulated health services that are not well suited to meeting the unique realities and health needs of slum dwellers. Consequently, policies and programs aimed at improving the wellbeing of slum dwellers should address comprehensively the underlying structural, economic, behavioral, and service-oriented barriers to good health and productive lives among slum residents

Influence of parental factors on adolescents’ transition to first sexual intercourse in Nairobi, Kenya: a longitudinal study

Abstract Background Several studies have demonstrated a link between young people’s sexual behavior and levels of parental monitoring, parent-child communication, and parental discipline in Western countries. However, little is known about this association in African settings, especially among young people living in high poverty settings such as urban slums. The objective of the study was to assess the influence of parental factors (monitoring, communication, and discipline) on the transition to first sexual intercourse among unmarried adolescents living in urban slums in Kenya. Methods Longitudinal data collected from young people living in two slums in Nairobi, Kenya were used. The sample was restricted to unmarried adolescents aged 12–19 years at Wave 1 (weighted n = 1927). Parental factors at Wave 1 were used to predict adolescents’ transition to first sexual intercourse by Wave 2. Relevant covariates including the adolescents’ age, sex, residence, school enrollment, religiosity, delinquency, and peer models for risk behavior were controlled for. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the associations of interest. All analyses were conducted using Stata version 13. Results Approximately 6 % of our sample transitioned to first sexual intercourse within the one-year study period; there was no sex difference in the transition rate. In the multivariate analyses, male adolescents who reported communication with their mothers were less likely to transition to first sexual intercourse compared to those who did not (p < 0.05). This association persisted even after controlling for relevant covariates (OR: ≤0.33; p < 0.05). However, parental monitoring, discipline, and communication with their fathers did not predict transition to first sexual intercourse for male adolescents. For female adolescents, parental monitoring, discipline, and communication with fathers predicted transition to first sexual intercourse; however, only communication with fathers remained statistically significant after controlling for relevant covariates (OR: 0.30; 95 % C.I.: 0.13–0.68). Conclusion This study provides evidence that cross-gender communication with parents is associated with a delay in the onset of sexual intercourse among slum-dwelling adolescents. Targeted adolescent sexual and reproductive health programmatic interventions that include parents may have significant impacts on delaying sexual debut, and possibly reducing sexual risk behaviors, among young people in high-risk settings such as slums

Status report on the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents living in urban slums in Kenya

This report highlights the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges faced by adolescents living in slums in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as the perceptions and strategies that adolescents adopt to deal with each of these challenges. The results point to the fact that there is a range of experiences among adolescents with regard to knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Age, education, and marital status were often strongly associated with certain adolescent sexual and reproductive health experiences, highlighting the fact that targeted programs are needed to reach adolescents with SRH services at different stages of need. Consistent and persistent poverty reduction strategies must be considered alongside SRH services; as well as holistic programs that consider the relationship between health and environment, to address the complex web of factors that contribute to SRH

Monitoring of Health and Demographic Outcomes in Poor Urban Settlements: Evidence from the Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System

The Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System (NUHDSS) was set up in Korogocho and Viwandani slum settlements to provide a platform for investigating linkages between urban poverty, health, and demographic and other socioeconomic outcomes, and to facilitate the evaluation of interventions to improve the wellbeing of the urban poor. Data from the NUHDSS confirm the high level of population mobility in slum settlements, and also demonstrate that slum settlements are long-term homes for many people. Research and intervention programs should take account of the duality of slum residency. Consistent with the trends observed countrywide, the data show substantial improvements in measures of child mortality, while there has been limited decline in fertility in slum settlements. The NUHDSS experience has shown that it is feasible to set up and implement long-term health and demographic surveillance system in urban slum settlements and to generate vital data for guiding policy and actions aimed at improving the wellbeing of the urban poor

Are slum dwellers at heightened risk of HIV infection than other urban residents? Evidence from population-based HIV prevalence surveys in Kenya

In 2008, the global urban population surpassed the rural population and by 2050 more than 6 billion will be living in urban centres. A growing body of research has reported on poor health outcomes among the urban poor but not much is known about HIV prevalence among this group. A survey of nearly 3000 men and women was conducted in two Nairobi slums in Kenya between 2006 and 2007, where respondents were tested for HIV status. In addition, data from the 2008/2009 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey were used to compare HIV prevalence between slum residents and those living in other urban and rural areas. The results showed strong intra-urban differences. HIV was 12% among slum residents compared with 5% and 6% among non-slum urban and rural residents, respectively. Generally, men had lower HIV prevalence than women although in the slums the gap was narrower. Among women, sexual experience before the age of 15 compared with after 19 years was associated with 62% higher odds of being HIV positive. There was ethnic variation in patterns of HIV infection although the effect depended on the current place of residence