The objective of this review was to update Sobal and Stunkard’s exhaustive review of the literature on the relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity (Psychol Bull 1989;105:260–75). Diverse research databases (including CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, and Social Science Abstracts) were comprehensively searched during the years 1988–2004 inclusive, using ‘‘obesity,’’ ‘‘socioeconomic status,’’ and synonyms as search terms. A total of 333 published studies, representing 1,914 primarily cross-sectional associations, were included in the review. The overall pattern of results, for both men and women, was of an increasing proportion of positive associations and a decreasing proportion of negative associations as one moved from countries with high levels of socioeconomic development to countries with medium and low levels of development. Findings varied by SES indicator; for example, negative associations (lower SES associated with larger body size) for women in highly developed countries were most common with education and occupation, while positive associations for women in medium- and low-development countries were most common with income and material possessions. Patterns for women in higher- versus lower-development countries were generally less striking than those observed by Sobal and Stunkard; this finding is interpreted in light of trends related to globalization. Results underscore a view of obesity as a social phenomenon, for which appropriate action includes targeting both economic and sociocultural factors.

http://bvsper.paho.org/texcom/nutricion/29.pdf

Socioeconomic Status and Obesity

Our comprehensive meta-analysis combined prevalence figures of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) reported in 217 publications published between 1980 and 2008, including 331 independent samples with a total of 9,911,748 participants. The overall estimated CSA prevalence was 127/1000 in self-report studies and 4/1000 in informant studies. Self-reported CSA was more common among female (180/1000) than among male participants (76/1000). Lowest rates for both girls (113/1000) and boys (41/1000) were found in Asia, and highest rates were found for girls in Australia (215/1000) and for boys in Africa (193/1000). The results of our meta-analysis confirm that CSA is a global problem of considerable extent, but also show that methodological issues drastically influence the self-reported prevalence of CSA.

/pdf/a-global-perspective-on-child-sexual-abuse-meta-analysis-of-1aac6ztlxl.pdf

A Global Perspective on Child Sexual Abuse: Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Around the World:

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(10)61514-0.pdf

Tackling of unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and obesity: health effects and cost-effectiveness

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(09)60948-X.pdf

Violence and injuries in South Africa: prioritising an agenda for prevention

Now that international attention is focused on gender-based violence methodologically rigorous research is needed to guide the formulation and implementation of effective interventions policies and prevention strategies. Until fairly recently the majority of research on violence consisted of anecdotal accounts or exploratory studies performed on nonrepresentative samples of women such as those attending services for battered women. While this research has played a critical role in bringing to light the issues of wife abuse rape trafficking incest and other manifestations of gender-based violence it is less useful for understanding the dimensions or characteristics of abuse among the broader population. This manual has been developed in response to the growing need to improve the quality quantity and comparability of international data on physical and sexual abuse. It outlines some of the methodological and ethical challenges of conducting research on violence against women and describes a range of innovative techniques that have been used to address these challenges. We hope that the manual will be useful for those interested in pursuing research on violence especially in developing countries and other resource-poor settings. (excerpt)

Researching violence against women: a practical guide for researchers and activists

12.2% of men and 5.6% of women. For men, 19% of the variation of BMI and 34% of the variation in waist circumference could be explained by age, level of education, population group, and area of residence. For women, these variables explained 16% of the variation of BMI and 24% of the variation in waist circumference. Obesity increased with age, and higher levels of obesity were found in urban African women. Discussion: Overnutrition is prevalent among adult South Africans, particularly women. Determinants of overnutrition include age, level of education, ethnicity, and area of residence.

/pdf/obesity-in-south-africa-the-south-african-demographic-and-2rbpyt4vcr.pdf

Obesity in South Africa: The South African Demographic and Health Survey

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(02)07530-X.pdf

Rape of girls in South Africa

This paper reports on an empirical study that investigated the content of and perceptions about reproductive health information among school teachers and learners in a rural area of South Africa. Qualitative methods were used to assess the dissemination and acceptability of and perceptions about information related to HIV/AIDS, sexuality, family planning, sexually transmitted diseases and reproductive cancers. The data highlight the cultural incongruity among teachers, learners, family and the health sectors. It is argued that this incongruity undermines the objectives of such reproductive health information. The theory of the social construction of reality is applied to envisage an approach that will overcome cultural incongruities. There may well be other areas in South Africa which have similar experiences, but this study is not intended as a general reflection of a South African situation. None‐the‐less, important findings that may impact on school policy have emerged.

Cultural clashes in reproductive health information in schools

The need to change sexual behavior to reduce the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has highlighted the critical need for dissemination of effective reproductive health information. A wide range of media, including visual technologies, is used to provide health information to communities in South Africa. However, little is known about the ability of the technology used in communicating intended messages or on the comprehension of messages by the target audience. The study determined the ability of the technology to convey intended messages and the level of understanding of the information disseminated among the community members. A survey of both rural and urban communities of Umtata district in the Eastern Cape province was conducted to examine the readability and understanding of reproductive health information. The study revealed that urban communities understood disseminated reproductive health information better than rural. The findings also indicated that visual communication is much more problematic for older people. Frequency and consistency of reproductive health information improved the level of comprehension.

Nolwazi Mbananga

Papers

Obesity in South Africa: The South African Demographic and Health Survey

Rape of girls in South Africa

Cultural clashes in reproductive health information in schools

Use of technology in reproductive health information designed for communities in South Africa

Hypertension management and surveillance at primary care level: a situational analysis in the limpopo province