Chronic Non-Communicable Disease and Healthcare Access in Middle-Aged and Older Women Living in Soweto,South Africa |
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| Authors: | Daniel Lopes Ibanez-Gonzalez Shane A Norris |
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| Institution: | Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.; Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, South Africa, |
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| Abstract: | The aim of the current study was to describe the healthcare access, beliefs, and practices of middle-aged and older women residing in Soweto. This is a cross-sectional study of the primary (female) caregivers of the Birth to Twenty Cohort, based in Soweto, South Africa. The study instrument was administered to 1 102 caregivers as part of routine annual data collection. Over half the respondents (50.7%) reported having at least one chronic non-communicable disease (CND), only a small portion (33.3%) of whom reported accessing a healthcare service in the last 6 months. Reported availability of private medical practice and government clinics was high (75.1% and 61.5% respectively). The low utilisation of healthcare services by women with CND is a concern in terms of healthcare management. There is a need to further investigate how healthcare beliefs are formed, as well as the feasibility of programmes to support the ongoing management of CND in Soweto. |
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