Situation analysis of an informal settlement in the Vaal Triangle

Figures & data

Figure 1 Immediate, underlying and basic causes of malnutrition Source: UNICEF (1990;)

Table 1 Demographic data on the sample

Variable	Number	Per cent of total
Age
< 21 years	7	2,0
21–30 years	79	22,1
31–40 years	92	25,8
41–50 years	83	23,2
51–60 years	60	16,8
61–70 years	27	7,6
> 70 years	9	2,5
Educational level
None	83	23,2
Primary school	173	48,5
Secondary school	98	27,4
College	3	0,8
Home language
Sotho	242	67,8
Zulu	50	14,0
Xhosa	34	9,5
Afrikaans	21	5,9
Other	10	2,8
Number of people in household
≤ 3	97	27,2
4	76	21,3
5	66	18,5
≥ 6	118	33,0
Number of children in household
None	88	24,6
1	79	22,1
2	55	15,4
3	20	5,6
4	8	2,2
5	3	0,8
Time lived in the informal settlement
< 1 year	9	2,5
1–5 years	31	8,7
> 5 years	317	88,8
Type of house
Brick	16	4,5
Clay	16	4,5
Corrugated iron shack	321	89,9
Other	4	1,1
Number of rooms
≤ 2 rooms	115	32,2
3–4 rooms	148	41,5
> 4 rooms	94	26,3
Permanent residents	316	88,5
Total	357	100,0

Table 2 Socio-economic indicators of the sample

Variable	Number	Per cent of total
Tap outside house in yard
Toilet facilities
Flush/sewage	348	97,5
Other	9	2,5
Access to electricity	357	100,0
Waste removal facilities	20	5,6
Gravel road in front of house	315	88,2
Tarred road in front of house	42	11,8
Pests	325	91,0
Mice/rats	190	53,2
Cockroaches	12	3,4
Mice/rats and ants	18	5,0
Mice/rats and ants and cockroaches	49	13,7
Mice/rats and cockroaches	56	15,7
Respondents'employment status	20	5,8
Looking for a job	181	50,7
Period of unemployment > 3 years	211	59,1
Partner's employment status	71	19,9
Total household income per month (in rand)
< 500	152	42,6
501–1 000	56	15,7
1 001–1 500	6	1,7
1 501–2 000	5	1,4
2 001–2 500	1	0,3
> 2 500	1	0,3
Do not know	136	38,1
Number of people who contribute to household income
1	129	36,1
2	127	35,6
> 2	101	28,3
Family member responsible for household expenditure
Father	57	16,0
Mother	244	68,3
Other	56	15,7
Total	357	100,0

Table 3 History of chronic diseases and early childhood deaths in family

Variable	Number	Per cent of total
Skeletal disease	112	31,5
Chronic cough	149	42,0
Heart disease	77	21,7
Chest disease	84	23,7
Gastrointestinal tract abnormalities	60	16,9
Genital abnormalities	52	14,6
Mental disorders	25	7,0
Headaches	179	50,4
Bad hearing	6	1,6
Bad eyesight	32	9,0
Disabled	9	2,5
Operations	80	24,2
Chronic medication	109	32,1
High blood pressure medication	32	9,0
Death of child under 5 during past 5 years	98	27,7
Age of death
Stillborn	34	34,8
0–7 days	4	4,1
1 week–3 months	10	10,2
4–12 months	12	12,2
13–24 months	3	3,1
24–60 months	35	35,6
Total	355	100,0

Table 4 Smoking and drinking patterns

Variable	Number	Per cent of total
Respondent's smoking history
Yes	54	15,2
No, never smoked	255	71,8
No, stopped smoking	46	13,0
Partner's smoking history
Yes	117	33,0
No	238	67,0
Respondent's snuff usage history
Yes	92	25,9
No, never used	238	67,1
No, stopped using	25	7,0
Respondent's alcohol consumption
Yes	97	27,3
No	258	72,7
Frequency of alcohol consumption
Never	258	72,7
Every day	6	1,7
Once a week	22	6,2
Occasionally	69	19,4
Type of alcohol consumption
None	258	72,7
Commercial beer/cider	26	7,3
Home-brewed beer	37	10,4
Spirits	5	1,4
Wine	29	8,2
Total	355	100,0

Table 5 Health facilities in the informal settlement

Variable	Number	Per cent of total
Type of health facility visited
None	13	3,7
Private doctor	12	3,4
Clinic	266	74,9
Hospital	6	1,7
Other	58	16,4
Access to health facilities
On foot	283	79,7
Other (taxi, train, bus, own transport)	72	20,3
Total	355	100,0

Table 6 Analysis of food questionnaires and 24-hour recall: mean daily intakes of the mothers or care-givers in the household

Nutrient and unit of measure	Questionnaire (409 respondents) (mean ± SD)	24-hour recall (mean ± SD)	Estimated average requirements*
Energy (kJ)	3 839,8 ± 430,4	4 550,1 ± 1 993,0	10 093
Total protein (g)	24,5 ± 22,7	19.7 ± 9,3	46
Total fat (g)	26,9 ± 31,4	20,9 ± 20,8
Cholesterol (mg)	84,8 ± 115,8	55,8 ± 117,9
Carbohydrates (g)	135,2 ± 94,6	182,4 ± 77,9	100
Calcium (mg)	116,2 ± 165,0	150,1 ± 176,7	580
Iron (mg)	3,54 ± 4,73	3,79 ± 2,04	8,1
Magnesium (mg)	135,9 ± 103,2	194,7 ± 93,5	265
Zinc (mg)	2,9 ± 2,65	3,8 ± 2,4	6,8
Copper (mg)	0,39 ± 0,42	0,41 ± 0,29
Chromium (mcg)	14,3 ± 23,3	14,7 ± 19,8
Selenium (mcg)	10,27 ± 16,57	8,27 ± 13,15	45
Iodine (mcg)	11,28 ± 16,31	8,97 ± 18,12	95
Vitamin A (RE) (mcg)	210,64 ± 452,49	175,91 ± 617,28	500
Thiamine (mg)	0,56 ± 0,51	0,72 ± 0,32	0,9
Riboflavin (mg)	0,32 ± 0,51	0,35 ± 0,36	0,9
Niacin (mg)	4,58 ± 6,66	4,93 ± 4,08	11
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0,30 ± 0,50	0,34 ± 0,23	1,1
Folate (mcg)	64,19 ± 87,64	85,13 ± 125,11	320
Vitamin B12 (mcg)	1,33 ± 2,76	1,19 ± 3,17	2,0
Pantothenate (mg)	1,67 ± 2,19	1,78 ± 1,65
Biotin (mcg)	10,52 ± 10,35	14,62 ± 25,30
Vitamin C (mg)	13,4 ± 25,7	14,32 ± 14,87	60
Vitamin D (mcg)	1,45 ± 2,09	0,73 ± 1,84
Vitamin E (mg)	7,42 ± 10,38	4,56 ± 7,33	12
*Estimated average requirement for females aged 19–50 years.

Table 7 Twenty food items most frequently consumed, as reported in response to the food questionnaire

Food item	Mean daily intake (grams per person)	Number of respondents who consume the item each day
Maize meal porridge, stiff	345	409
Maize meal porridge, soft	124	202
Tea, rooibos, brewed	80	35
Tea, brewed	79	335
Coffee, brewed	76	38
Maltabella	74	177
Bread, white	73	38
Maize meal porridge, crumbly	63	72
Cold drink, carbonated	52	52
Mageu (fermented maize drink)	51	88
Soya beans	51	19
Potato, boiled with skin	47	47
Stewed chicken with vegetables	45	25
Potato, boiled without skin	31	28
Cold drink, squash	31	264
Oats	30	12
Soup (powder)	29	19
Samp	28	98
Spinach, buttered	23	126
Cabbage, potato and onion	21	138

Table 8 Food procurement and preparation patterns of the sample

Variable	Number	Per cent of total
Frequency of shopping for food
Every day	27	7,6
Once a week	63	17,6
Once a month	220	61,6
When money is available	14	3,9
Never	11	3,1
Donations	22	6,2
Where is food most commonly bought?
Spaza shop	198	55,5
Street vendor	2	0,6
Supermarket	62	17,4
Spaza shop, street vendor and supermarket	27	7,6
Spaza shop and street vendor	33	9,2
Spaza shop and supermarket	10	2,8
Street vendor and supermarket	2	0,6
Other	23	6,5
Weekly expenditure on food (in rand)
0–50	136	38,1
51–100	72	20,2
> 100	47	13,4
Do not know	101	28,3
Household member responsible for food preparation
Mother	292	81,8
Other	65	18,2
Household member responsible for food procurement decisions
Mother	299	83,8
Other	58	16,2
Household member responsible for feeding the children
Mother	284	79,6
Other	73	20,4
Number of meals served per day in the household
1	59	16,5
2	199	55,7
3	81	22,7
> 3	4	1,1
No specific meal times	14	3,9
Where is most of the food consumed?
Home	312	87,4
Other	45	12,6