Agrarian Structure and Social Organization in a Risk-Prone Environment: A Comparison of the Birifor, Dagara, and the Lobi People of Burkina Faso

Differences in spatial organization among the Lobi, Birifor, and Dagara communities in Burkina Faso can be argued to account for differential risk for onchocerciasis in these populations. A logistic regression analysis suggests that the pattern of land use and a number of related factors contribute...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Population and environment 1996-03, Vol.17 (4), p.323-342
Main Author: Ahiadeke, Clement
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agrarian Structures
Agricultural land
Agriculture
Blindness
Burkina Faso
Communities
Community Structure
Disease
Disease transmission
Diseases
Epidemiology
Land tenure
Land Use
Native peoples
Onchocerciasis
Population
Population density
Risk
Rural Communities
Settlement patterns
Spatial Analysis
Traditional Societies
Villages
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Summary:Differences in spatial organization among the Lobi, Birifor, and Dagara communities in Burkina Faso can be argued to account for differential risk for onchocerciasis in these populations. A logistic regression analysis suggests that the pattern of land use and a number of related factors contribute to the risk of differential microfilarial load. It appears that the unique agrarian structures of the Birifor and Dagara communities represent a successful social adaptation to the threat of the blackfly disease, and that adoption of the forms of spatial organization found in the Birifor and Dagara communities by regional governments could aid in controlling the blackfly more permanently.
ISSN:0199-0039
1573-7810
DOI:10.1007/BF02208232