Self-rated physical health, health-risk behaviors, and disparities: A cross-sectional study of youth in the slums of Kampala, Uganda

Self-rated physical health (SRPH) has been extensively used to assess health status. In this study, we examine how youth living in the slums of Kampala perceive their physical health and the psychosocial correlates of poor health. Cross-sectional data from the 2014 Kampala Youth Survey (N = 1,134) o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Global public health 2022-11, Vol.17 (11), p.2962-2976
Main Authors: Patterson, Annabel Q., Culbreth, Rachel E., Kasirye, Rogers, Kebede, Senait, Bitarabeho, Jackson, Swahn, Monica H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Africa
Alcohol use
Alcoholism
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies
Demography
Electricity
Health
Health behavior
Health disparities
Health risks
Health status
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Orphans
Peers
Poverty Areas
Psychosocial factors
Regression analysis
Risk behavior
Risk-Taking
Self evaluation
self-rated health
Slums
Uganda
Uganda - epidemiology
urban
Youth
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Summary:Self-rated physical health (SRPH) has been extensively used to assess health status. In this study, we examine how youth living in the slums of Kampala perceive their physical health and the psychosocial correlates of poor health. Cross-sectional data from the 2014 Kampala Youth Survey (N = 1,134) of youth ages 12-18 years was used to conduct the analyses. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between SRPH, demographic and psychosocial characteristics. Overall, 72% of youth rated their health as 'excellent' or 'good.' Poor SRPH was associated with older age and lower education, but not with sex. Also, orphans (OR = 2.03; 95%CI:1.51-2.72), those who lived on the streets (OR=3.09; 95%CI:2.30-4.15), who did not have electricity (OR = 2.83;95%CI:2.12-3.78), who initiated alcohol use early (OR = 2.08; 95%CI:1.47-2.94), who frequently get drunk (OR = 5.67; 95%CI:2.69-11.96), who were HIV positive (OR = 2.18; 95%CI:1.47-3.23), who had been injured due to their drinking (OR = 2.09; 95%CI:1.44-3.03), who thought about hurting themselves (OR = 2.09; 95%CI:1.60-2.73), and those who often felt lonely (OR = 2.54; 95%CI:1.61-4.02) had higher odds of poor SRPH compared to their peers without these characteristics. Poor SRPH may serve as a marker for multiple health-risk behaviors and severe health disparities among youth in vulnerable and resource-limited settings.
ISSN:1744-1692
1744-1706
DOI:10.1080/17441692.2021.2007974