Abstract:
Thousands of Ghanaians live in slums to make ends meet. However, the social
and environmental conditions slum dwellers live in expose them to several
health issues, an issue insufficiently studied. The study investigated how
individual characteristics and shared social-physical environment define the
health of slum residents in Old Fadama. The study adopted a mixed-method
approach, and 306 household heads were selected. Six (6) key informants were
included. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed with a questionnaire
and interview guide used to get data. The quantitative analysis was done using
SPSS, covering both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. A thematic
content analysis was carried out using the Nvivo software.
The study found malaria, cholera, tuberculousis, hepatitis, dangue fever, and
pneumonia, as the most prevailing health challenges in the area. The study
unearthed poor sanitation, bad road network, informal settlement as what slum
dwellers perceived as factors that affect their health status. It was also found out
that infrastructure, public services, and housing characteristics are the shared
social-physical environment factors that explain the health of slum dwellers in
the area. The strategies adopted by residents to cope with prevailing healthrelated
problems included “Borrowing from friends and selling assets to cope
with huge health expenditures,” “Working for long hours to make more
money,” and “Reducing excessive food consumption spending,”. It is, therefore,
recommended that governments and other stakeholders should educate residents
of the study area on the associated dangers. It also suggested that governments
should pay attention to the following issues: poor sanitation, bad road network,
informal settlement.
