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Survey of the health and nutrition status of a squatter community in Khayelitsha
Abstract
The findings of a nutrition and health survey in Site B, a squatter area in Khayelitsha close to Cape Town, are reported.. Of the children under 6 years, 16,8% were found to be under weight for age, 23,5% were stunted and 2,5% wasted, indicating a serious nutritional crisis in this community. Children with a low-birth-weight had a 3 times greater risk of being under weight for age and a 2 times greater risk of being stunted than children with birth-weights greater than 2500 g. Of the children born outside Cape Town, 21,9% were under weight for age compared with 13,5% of children born in Cape Town. Of the pre-school children, 4,2% had completed or were on antituberculosis treatment compared with 2% of the children in the age group 6 - 18 years and 3,2% of adults. Sixty per cent of the pre-school children with tuberculosis were under weight for age. Half the adult population was fully employed, and 22% of households had no wage earners. Assuming literacy after 4 years of schooling, 76% of th.e adults were literate, but only 2,5% had completed Standard 10. Women were generally better qualified than men.
