IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v97y2013icp192-200.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Healthcare provider views on the health effects of biomass fuel collection and use in rural Eastern Cape, South Africa: An ethnographic study

Author

Listed:
  • Matinga, Margaret Njirambo
  • Annegarn, Harold J.
  • Clancy, Joy S.

Abstract

Policymakers at global level recognise that household biomass use in developing countries has significant health consequences. However, it is unclear how local-level health professionals perceive and respond to such health effects. This paper which is derived from the findings of a larger study on perceptions and responses to the harmful health effects of carrying heavy firewood loads and to smoke from cooking fires is based on a study conducted in South Africa among managers of health programmes and community nurses of Qaukeni and Mhlontlo municipalities in rural Eastern Cape. Interviews and participant observations were conducted in 2009 using ethnographic grounded theory approaches. In addition to a 10-month period of ethnographic fieldwork, ten programme managers and nurses in two villages were interviewed about health patterns in the villages that they serve, their perceptions of, and responses to the health effects of carrying heavy firewood loads, and inhalation of smoke from wood and dung cooking fires, their professional qualifications and experience, their own household energy use; and observations made as they served clinic clients. Results show that these programme managers and nurses perceive the health effects of carrying heavy loads of firewood and of cooking smoke as minor. Sometimes, nurses give women symptomatic relief for musculoskeletal pain resulting from carrying heavy loads. We posit that their perceptions are derived from customary neglect of work-related health and non-communicable diseases, cultural interpretations of womanhood, limited access to relevant information, and limited interactions between health and energy sector professionals. We conclude that culturally and gender-sensitive awareness programmes are needed for local-level health professionals to effectively address health effects of biomass collection and use. This paper provides new insights into overlooked differences between globally-driven initiatives to address health effects of biomass use and local perceptions.

Suggested Citation

  • Matinga, Margaret Njirambo & Annegarn, Harold J. & Clancy, Joy S., 2013. "Healthcare provider views on the health effects of biomass fuel collection and use in rural Eastern Cape, South Africa: An ethnographic study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 192-200.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:97:y:2013:i:c:p:192-200
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.08.015
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027795361300467X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.08.015?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Myers, J.E. & Macun, I., 1989. "The sociologic context of occupational health in South Africa," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 79(2), pages 216-224.
    2. Porter, Gina & Hampshire, Kate & Dunn, Christine & Hall, Richard & Levesley, Martin & Burton, Kim & Robson, Steve & Abane, Albert & Blell, Mwenza & Panther, Julia, 2013. "Health impacts of pedestrian head-loading: A review of the evidence with particular reference to women and children in sub-Saharan Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 90-97.
    3. Sabina Mahapa & Mac Mashiri, 2001. "Social exclusion and rural transport: Gender aspects of a road improvement project in Tshitwe, Northern Province," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(3), pages 365-376.
    4. Gina Porter & Kate Hampshire & Mac Mashiri & Sipho Dube & Goodhope Maponya, 2010. "‘Youthscapes’ and escapes in rural Africa: Education, mobility and livelihood trajectories for young people in Eastern Cape, South Africa," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(8), pages 1090-1101, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Liu, Pihui & Han, Chuanfeng & Teng, Minmin, 2022. "Does clean cooking energy improve mental health? Evidence from China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    2. Wang, Xiqian & Bian, Yong & Zhang, Qin, 2023. "The effect of cooking fuel choice on the elderly’s well-being: Evidence from two non-parametric methods," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    3. Jamie Roberman & Theophilus I. Emeto & Oyelola A. Adegboye, 2021. "Adverse Birth Outcomes Due to Exposure to Household Air Pollution from Unclean Cooking Fuel among Women of Reproductive Age in Nigeria," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-15, January.
    4. Lindgren, Samantha, 2021. "Cookstove implementation and Education for Sustainable Development: A review of the field and proposed research agenda," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yu, Zhao & Zhao, Pengjun, 2021. "The factors in residents' mobility in rural towns of China: Car ownership, road infrastructure and public transport services," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    2. Frempong, Raymond Boadi & Orkoh, Emmanuel & Kofinti, Raymond Elikplim, 2021. "Household's use of cooking gas and Children's learning outcomes in rural Ghana," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    3. Aybüke Koyuncu & Jillian L. Kadota & Agatha Mnyippembe & Prosper F. Njau & Tula Ram Sijali & Sandra I. McCoy & Michael N. Bates & Carisa Harris-Adamson & Ndola Prata, 2021. "Heavy Load Carrying and Symptoms of Pelvic Organ Prolapse among Women in Tanzania and Nepal: An Exploratory Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-12, January.
    4. Stephen Perz & Alexander Shenkin & Grenville Barnes & Liliana Cabrera & Lucas Carvalho & Jorge Castillo, 2012. "Connectivity and Resilience: A Multidimensional Analysis of Infrastructure Impacts in the Southwestern Amazon," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 106(2), pages 259-285, April.
    5. Stephen Perz, 2012. "Social Mobilization in Protest of Trans-boundary Highway Projects: Explaining Contrasting Implementation Outcomes," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 43(3), pages 797-821, May.
    6. Rakhee Bhattacharya & Nijara Deka, 2021. "Roads matter at the periphery: India’s post-liberalization road projects in the Northeast," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 23(2), pages 321-337, December.
    7. Frederick Amon-Armah & Nana Akua Anyidoho & Isaac Alvin Amoah & Sander Muilerman, 2023. "A Typology of Young Cocoa Farmers: Attitudes, Motivations and Aspirations," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(4), pages 770-793, August.
    8. S’phumelele Lucky Nkomo & Sumaiya, Desai & Peerbhay Kabir, 2016. "Assessing the Conditions of Rural Road Networks in South Africa using Visual Observations and Field-Based Manual Measurements: A Case Study of Four Rural Communities in KwaZulu-Natal Province," Review of Social Sciences, LAR Center Press, vol. 1(2), pages 42-55, February.
    9. Ayoob REZAEE MOTLAQ & Aidin PARSAKHOO & Kamran ADELI & Mohamad Hadi MOAYERI, 2018. "The influence of rural road development on forest extent changes over the three time periods: A case study of Chegeni region, Lorestan province," Journal of Forest Science, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 64(7), pages 313-318.
    10. Foley, Louise & Brugulat-Panés, Anna & Woodcock, James & Govia, Ishtar & Hambleton, Ian & Turner-Moss, Eleanor & Mogo, Ebele R.I. & Awinja, Alice Charity & Dambisya, Philip M. & Matina, Sostina Spiwe , 2022. "Socioeconomic and gendered inequities in travel behaviour in Africa: Mixed-method systematic review and meta-ethnography," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    11. Abisola Osinuga & Brandi Janssen & Nathan B Fethke & William T Story & John A Imaledo & Kelly K Baker, 2021. "Understanding Rural Women’s Domestic Work Experiences (DWE) in Ibadan, Nigeria: Development of a Measurement Tool Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-18, October.
    12. Lucas, Karen, 2011. "Making the connections between transport disadvantage and the social exclusion of low income populations in the Tshwane Region of South Africa," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 1320-1334.
    13. Zhao, Pengjun & Yu, Zhao, 2021. "Rural poverty and mobility in China: A national-level survey," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    14. Devkota, Bhuwan & Dudycha, Douglas & Andrey, Jean, 2012. "Planning for non-motorized travel in rural Nepal: a role for geographic information systems," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 282-291.
    15. Anna Brugulat-Panés & Lee Randall & Thiago Hérick de Sá & Megha Anil & Haowen Kwan & Lambed Tatah & James Woodcock & Ian R. Hambleton & Ebele R. I. Mogo & Lisa Micklesfield & Caitlin Pley & Ishtar Gov, 2023. "The Potential for Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Transport Systems in Africa and the Caribbean: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review and Meta-Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-27, March.
    16. Hamenoo, Emma Seyram & Dwomoh, Emmanuel Aprakru & Dako-Gyeke, Mavis, 2018. "Child labour in Ghana: Implications for children's education and health," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 248-254.
    17. Zhao, Pengjun & Yu, Zhao, 2020. "Investigating mobility in rural areas of China: Features, equity, and factors," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 66-77.
    18. Tanu Priya Uteng & Jeff Turner, 2019. "Addressing the Linkages between Gender and Transport in Low- and Middle-Income Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-34, August.
    19. Grace Muthoni Mwaura, 2017. "Just Farming? Neoliberal Subjectivities and Agricultural Livelihoods among Educated Youth in Kenya," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 48(6), pages 1310-1335, November.
    20. Stephen G. Perz & Flavia L. Leite & Lauren N. Griffin & Jeffrey Hoelle & Martha Rosero & Lucas Araujo Carvalho & Jorge Castillo & Daniel Rojas, 2015. "Trans-Boundary Infrastructure and Changes in Rural Livelihood Diversity in the Southwestern Amazon: Resilience and Inequality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(9), pages 1-30, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:97:y:2013:i:c:p:192-200. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.