Foster Amey

Polygyny and child survival in West Africa

Abstract This study examines the relationship between polygyny and child survival in light of conflicting findings reported in a number of studies. Using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys from six West African countries, the risks of neonatal, postneonatal, and overall infant mortality are estimated. Controlling for a set of social and biodemographic factors, it is found that substantial risks of mortality are associated with polygyny. A separate analysis explores the possibility that polygynys impact could differ from country to country. No significant interaction effects are detected, leading to the conclusion that regardless of the country in which it is practiced, polygyny still poses a challenge to the survival chances of West African children.

To disclose or not to disclose?: Lower class parents living with HIV/AIDS in Lomé, Togo

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the patterns of self‐disclosure of HIV/AIDS infection and reasons respondents did not disclose their serostatus to their children.Design/methodology/approach – Convenience sample of 151 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Lome, Togo, was used. Semi‐structured interviews were administered.Findings – Unlike studies conducted in the USA, it was found that although all of the respondents had disclosed their status to HIV/AIDS service providers from whom they received help and support, they had low rates of disclosure to their significant others. For instance, only 12 per cent of the participants had disclosed to their mothers and 16 per cent had disclosed to their children. Additionally, reasons given by respondents for non‐disclosure of their infected status to their children were varied. Regardless of the age of the children, half of the parents believed that the children were either too young or were minors and should not know about their HIV infected st...

Stress, social support and depression in informal caregivers to people with HIV/AIDS in Lomé, Togo

Purpose – This study examined factors associated with depression in 125 informal caregivers to adults living with HIV/AIDS in Lome, Togo.Methodology – Each caregiver completed a questionnaire that assessed primary and secondary stressors, social support and depression. Most of the participants were women (78 per cent), married (53 per cent), and had been giving care to nuclear family members (63 per cent) for about 11 months. OLS regression was used to examine the association of primary and secondary stressors with self‐reported depression.Findings – The analysis showed that caregiving demand, role captivity, and job conflict were positively associated with self‐reported depression. This suggests that work‐related strains and role strains were associated with depression levels among caregivers in our sample.Research limitations/implications – The study is based on a small convenience sample of volunteers and this may limit the generalisability of the results.Practical implications – This knowledge can ben...

Earnings differentials among male African immigrants in the United States

This article analyses the earnings attainment of male African immigrants in the United States. Using OLS regression and data from the 1990 Census of Population and Housing, we identified the determinants of annual earnings attainment of male African immigrants and examined them by country of origin. We also assessed the impact of skill transferability via ability to speak English on such earnings. Results showed that the process of earnings attainment of African immigrants vary by country of origin. For example, while educational attainment is a significant predictor of annual earnings for only Kenyan and South African immigrants, duration of stay in the United States is significant for immigrants from Cape Verde. Overall, the pay‐offs of college education are higher for South African immigrants than it is for the other groups. Non‐Anglophone immigrants begin with a disadvantage relative to their English‐speaking counterparts. However, this disadvantage is eroded by the length of stay in the US, ability to speak English, and other job‐related characteristics.

Caring for a Loved One with Cancer: It Is My Job

This study investigated the experiences of caregivers of loved ones with cancer in Lomé, Togo. The authors developed a framework that captures the experiences of 17 caregivers. The framework explains the exploratory factors that influenced the lives of caregivers from the caregivers’ own perspectives. Findings showed that even though the caregivers experienced significant challenges that affected their lives and the lives of their families, because of cultural norms and expectations, they tried their best to overcome the challenges. Although some reported positive impacts on their family functioning, others reported negative impacts such as fragmentation of the family unit. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.

Sexual responses to living with HIV/AIDS in Lomé, Togo

A qualitative study of sexual behaviour among 88 people living with HIV was conducted in Lomé, Togo. Data were collected by means of open‐ended interviews. Three separate sexual‐behaviour patterns were identified: people who reported not having sex at all; people who reported using condoms consistently; and people who reported not using condoms at all or using them inconsistently. Reasons given to explain these behaviours were analysed. Findings reveal the need for different programmes and policy approaches to dealing with problems of HIV and AIDS in Lomé, Togo.

Earnings attainment of immigrants in the USA: the effects of race, gender, and place of birth

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of race, gender, and region of birth by assessing the earnings of blacks and whites from Africa, blacks from the Americas, whites from Europe and Asians from Asia.Design/methodology/approach – Using data from the 2000 Census of Population and Housing, different income levels were used to see if there were any variations in earnings. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds of earnings at the various percentiles of the income of white African men, controlling for the human capital resources and other demographic variables.Findings – The paper finds an unambiguous race effect among male workers. White males from both Africa and Europe have significant advantage over non‐white male workers from Africa, the Americas, and Asia. However, the earnings attainment is more favorable to white African males regardless of income levels. Further, a gender effect is also found in that relative to the earnings of white African‐born males, all...

Determinants of support for government involvement in obesity control among American adults

Obesity takes a substantial toll on society as a whole. Obesity and its health-related complications contribute significantly to healthcare costs and negatively affects almost every aspect of human life. It is therefore reasonable for the government to be involved in finding solutions to control the epidemic. This article examined factors that influence support for government intervention in the obesity epidemic in the United States. We used data from Obesity in the United States: Public Perceptions, a survey of a nationally representative sample of American adults. We conducted OLS regression analysis, to understand how three main covariates that described beliefs about causes of obesity and a series of controls impact support for government intervention in obesity control. There was a significant negative relationship between support for government intervention and beliefs about causes of obesity. Also, political ideology and party affiliation significantly influenced support for government intervention. For instance, while Democrats were more supportive of government interventions to control obesity, Republicans were not supportive of such intervention. Additionally, race and environmental characteristics of place of residence significantly influenced support for government intervention. Further, there were significant joint effects of political affiliation, race, and weight status on support for government intervention. Unlike previous studies, we find that one of the important factors that drive people to either support or abhor government intervention is the perception of what causes obesity. It is important that public health officials and other stakeholders understand the intricacies of public support for obesity control.

Personal social networks and health among aging adults in Agincourt, South Africa: A multidimensional approach

Abstract Personal social networks (SN) affect health and wellbeing. This study used a multidimensional approach of SN and social determinants of health (SDH) to examine the association between SN and self-reported physical health among the aging population of Agincourt, South Africa. We analyzed the composition of personal SN and used a multiple linear regression analysis to examine both network dimensions and SDH that correlate with physical health. Results highlight the complexity and nuances of social relationships. A few recommendations were also made.

Sexual identity and risk behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Accra, Ghana and Lomẻ, Togo

Abstract Objectives: We examined sexual identity and its relationship with risky sexual behavior among 60 men who have sex with men in Accra, Ghana and Lomé, Togo. Methods: We used mixed-methods to investigate this relationship. Results: Quantitative results show that negative sexual identity leads to risky sexual behavior. For example, exchanging sex for valued resources is, positively associated with identity confusion. But as revealed by the qualitative findings, the relationship between sexual identity and risky sexual behavior may stem from homophobic perception. Conclusions: More research is needed to disentangle the complex issues of sexual identity and sexual risk behavior.