Environmental Health and The South African Community Professor D
J Kocks
Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Southern Africa, P C K Corder M R A, P 0 Box
0 Medunsa 0204,
Republic of South Africa
10483, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
ABSTRACT The success of an environmental impact assessment programme will depend on the perceptions of a community. There are differences in the opinion of the population groups of South Africa concerning the perceived environmental threats to health
1&dquo;’ &dquo;&dquo;’ INTRODUCTION Environmental impact assessment studies are propagated in the literature to evaluate environmental health risks to communities. Weaknesses in the basic epidemiological techniques available, and some gaps in appropriate data create problems when the protection of the public’s health as a consequence of environmental factors is considered (Rissel, 1991). The level and nature of a risk will also depend on the culture, customs and housing conditions of the people (De Koning et a1,1985). The social trend and public demand will therefore play a role in scientific and
technological decision-making in a country or community (Master-Allen and Brown,1990). Public opinion and attitudes should be taken into consideration when environmental health issues are investigated (Baxter,1990) by means of environmental studies. This should also be a priority in South Africa because of industrialization, pollution and socioeconomic changes of this decade. A countrywide area-stratified survey was conducted during October and November 1990 in the metropolitan areas of South Africa to evaluate the perceptions, knowledge and concern of individuals to point to trends concerning certain environmental health issues. A sample of 2,278 adults aged 16 years and over, were interviewed by trained field-workers at home using a structured questionnaire, with a 10% validation check on the work of each interviewer to ensure reliability and consistency. The results have been post-weighted to known population proportions to be representative of 8.9 million people living in the metropolitan areas of the country. Applicable results indicate clear differences in the concern (awareness and/or perceptions and/or knowledge) of different populations in the country (Table 1). There is a higher awareness of global issues and more distant threats amongst Asians, Coloureds and Whites, but Blacks are conscious of
impact
219 Downloaded from rsh.sagepub.com at Bobst Library, New York University on May 23, 2015
environmental issues that impinge on daily lives. Aspects which are of major personal concern at present for both Blacks and Whites are: air pollution (Whites 59% , Blacks 31 % ), population explosion (Whites 43 % , Blacks 20% ) and litter (Blacks 45 % , Whites 41 % ). Litter was the only issue investigated where Blacks had a higher level of personal concern than Whites, and must be seen against the socio-economic and political situation in South Africa. Symptom and disease prevalence and a perceived decline or increase in health problems because of environmental factors in South Africa should take cognisance of community awareness eg risk perceptions, stress and anxiety representations (Dunne et al,1990; Baird, 1986). Health professionals have to convince colleagues to consider all the aspects of an environmental impact assessment when health is an issue (Murray,1989). D ..............Aft....
References
BAIRD B N (1986). Tolerance for environmental health risks: the influence of knowledge, benefits, voluntariness, and environmental
attitudes. Risk Anal; 6:425-435 BAXTER R H (1990). Some public attitudes about health and the environment. Environ Health Perspect; 86:261-269 DE KONING H W, SMITH K R, LAST J M (1985). Biomass fuel combustion and health. WHO Bulletin; 63: 11-26 DUNNE M P, BURNET P, LAWTON J (1990). The health effects of chemical waste in an urban community. ; Med 152: J Aust 592-597 MASTERSON-ALLEN S and BROWN P (1990). Public reaction to toxic waste contamination: analysis of a social movement. Int J Hlth Serv; 20: 485-500 MURRAY S (1989). Do you love this planet? Can Med Assoc
;140:731-733 J RISSEL C E (1991). The limitations of epidemiology and environmental impact statements in determining environmental health risks: a case study from 111: J Roy Soc Australia. 178-182 Hlth;
220 Downloaded from rsh.sagepub.com at Bobst Library, New York University on May 23, 2015
J Kocks
Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Southern Africa, P C K Corder M R A, P 0 Box
0 Medunsa 0204,
Republic of South Africa
10483, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
ABSTRACT The success of an environmental impact assessment programme will depend on the perceptions of a community. There are differences in the opinion of the population groups of South Africa concerning the perceived environmental threats to health
1&dquo;’ &dquo;&dquo;’ INTRODUCTION Environmental impact assessment studies are propagated in the literature to evaluate environmental health risks to communities. Weaknesses in the basic epidemiological techniques available, and some gaps in appropriate data create problems when the protection of the public’s health as a consequence of environmental factors is considered (Rissel, 1991). The level and nature of a risk will also depend on the culture, customs and housing conditions of the people (De Koning et a1,1985). The social trend and public demand will therefore play a role in scientific and
technological decision-making in a country or community (Master-Allen and Brown,1990). Public opinion and attitudes should be taken into consideration when environmental health issues are investigated (Baxter,1990) by means of environmental studies. This should also be a priority in South Africa because of industrialization, pollution and socioeconomic changes of this decade. A countrywide area-stratified survey was conducted during October and November 1990 in the metropolitan areas of South Africa to evaluate the perceptions, knowledge and concern of individuals to point to trends concerning certain environmental health issues. A sample of 2,278 adults aged 16 years and over, were interviewed by trained field-workers at home using a structured questionnaire, with a 10% validation check on the work of each interviewer to ensure reliability and consistency. The results have been post-weighted to known population proportions to be representative of 8.9 million people living in the metropolitan areas of the country. Applicable results indicate clear differences in the concern (awareness and/or perceptions and/or knowledge) of different populations in the country (Table 1). There is a higher awareness of global issues and more distant threats amongst Asians, Coloureds and Whites, but Blacks are conscious of
impact
219 Downloaded from rsh.sagepub.com at Bobst Library, New York University on May 23, 2015
environmental issues that impinge on daily lives. Aspects which are of major personal concern at present for both Blacks and Whites are: air pollution (Whites 59% , Blacks 31 % ), population explosion (Whites 43 % , Blacks 20% ) and litter (Blacks 45 % , Whites 41 % ). Litter was the only issue investigated where Blacks had a higher level of personal concern than Whites, and must be seen against the socio-economic and political situation in South Africa. Symptom and disease prevalence and a perceived decline or increase in health problems because of environmental factors in South Africa should take cognisance of community awareness eg risk perceptions, stress and anxiety representations (Dunne et al,1990; Baird, 1986). Health professionals have to convince colleagues to consider all the aspects of an environmental impact assessment when health is an issue (Murray,1989). D ..............Aft....
References
BAIRD B N (1986). Tolerance for environmental health risks: the influence of knowledge, benefits, voluntariness, and environmental
attitudes. Risk Anal; 6:425-435 BAXTER R H (1990). Some public attitudes about health and the environment. Environ Health Perspect; 86:261-269 DE KONING H W, SMITH K R, LAST J M (1985). Biomass fuel combustion and health. WHO Bulletin; 63: 11-26 DUNNE M P, BURNET P, LAWTON J (1990). The health effects of chemical waste in an urban community. ; Med 152: J Aust 592-597 MASTERSON-ALLEN S and BROWN P (1990). Public reaction to toxic waste contamination: analysis of a social movement. Int J Hlth Serv; 20: 485-500 MURRAY S (1989). Do you love this planet? Can Med Assoc
;140:731-733 J RISSEL C E (1991). The limitations of epidemiology and environmental impact statements in determining environmental health risks: a case study from 111: J Roy Soc Australia. 178-182 Hlth;
220 Downloaded from rsh.sagepub.com at Bobst Library, New York University on May 23, 2015
