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Challenging household dynamics: Impact of orphanhood, parental absence, and children's living arrangements on education in South Africa.
- Source :
- Global Public Health; Jan2012, Vol. 7 Issue 1, p42-57, 16p, 4 Charts
- Publication Year :
- 2012
-
Abstract
- Public health and social-historical changes have had multiple effects on South African children and families. This study examines the association between challenging family dynamics, such as child orphan status, and educational delay, as defined by being below proper grade-for-age. Analysing the 2003/2004 South Africa Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) dataset, we estimate orphan prevalence, maternal and paternal household presence, other household characteristics, and schooling variables in a nationally representative household sample. Among 5592 children ages 8–14 in South Africa, 21% had experienced parental death, 33% did not have their mother present in the household, and 63% of the children were not living with their father. Twenty per cent were behind proper grade-for-age. A bivariate analysis shows that orphaned children experienced 35% greater odds of being behind in school (p<0.001). After adjusting for parental presence, household characteristics, and socio-demographic factors, orphan status does not remain significantly associated with being behind in school. However, maternal presence, relationship to the household head, number of children in a household, and socio-demographic characteristics each independently affect a child's likelihood of educational delay. Findings offer a more nuanced understanding of household dynamics that may protect against or exacerbate educational delays among vulnerable youth. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Subjects :
- EDUCATION of orphans
AGE distribution
CHI-squared test
CONFIDENCE intervals
EPIDEMIOLOGY
FAMILIES
METROPOLITAN areas
ORPHANAGES
ORPHANS
POPULATION geography
RESEARCH funding
RURAL conditions
SEX distribution
STATISTICS
SURVEYS
LOGISTIC regression analysis
DATA analysis
RESIDENTIAL patterns
EDUCATIONAL attainment
DATA analysis software
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 17441692
- Volume :
- 7
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Global Public Health
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 67525891
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2011.574147