Primary health care facility infrastructure and services and the nutritional status of children 0 to 71 months old and their caregivers attending these facilities in four rural districts in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, South Africa
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Date
Authors
Schoeman, Serina
Smuts, C.M.
Faber, Mieke
Van Stuijvenberg, M.
Oelofse, Andre
Laubscher, J.A.
Benade, A.J.S.
Dhansay, M.A.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Health and Medical Publishing Group
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess primary health care (PHC) facility infrastructure and services, and the nutritional status of 0 to 71-month-old children and their caregivers attending PHC facilities in the Eastern Cape (EC) and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provinces in South Africa.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey.
SETTING: Rural districts in the EC (OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo) and KZN (Umkhanyakude and Zululand). SUBJECTS: PHC facilities and nurses (EC: n = 20; KZN: n = 20), and 0 to 71-month-old children and their caregivers (EC: n = 994; KZN: n = 992). METHODS: Structured interviewer-administered questionnaires and anthropometric survey.
RESULTS: Of the 40 PHC facilities, 14 had been built or renovated after 1994. The PHC facilities had access to the following: safe drinking water (EC: 20%; KZN: 25%); electricity (EC: 45%; KZN: 85%); flush toilets (EC: 40%; KZN: 75%); and operational telephones (EC: 20%; KZN:
5%). According to more than 80% of the nurses, problems with basic resources and existing cultural practices influenced the quality of services. Home births were common (EC: 41%; KZN: 25%). Social grants were reported as a main source of income (EC: 33%; KZN: 28%). Few households reported that they had enough food at all times (EC: 15%; KZN: 7%). The reported prevalence of diarrhoea was high (EC: 34%; KZN: 38%). Undernutrition in 0 to younger than 6 month-olds was low; thereafter, however, stunting in children aged 6 to 59 months (EC: 22%; KZN: 24%) and 60 to 71 months (EC: 26%; KZN: 31%) was medium to high. Overweight and obese adults (EC: 49%; KZN: 42%) coexisted.
CONCLUSION: Problems regarding infrastructure, basic resources and services adversely affected PHC service delivery and the well-being of rural people, and therefore need urgent attention.
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Keywords
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Schoeman, S, Smuts, CM, Faber, M, Van Stuijvenberg, M, Oelofse, A, Laubscher, JA, Benade, AJS & Dhansay, MA 2010, 'Primary health care facility infrastructure and services and the nutritional status of children 0 to 71 months old and their caregivers attending these facilities in four rural districts in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, South Africa', South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 21-27. [http://www.sajcn.org.za]