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Community group participation:: Can it help young women to avoid HIV? An exploratory study of social capital and school education in rural Zimbabwe

Author

Listed:
  • Gregson, Simon
  • Terceira, Nicola
  • Mushati, Phyllis
  • Nyamukapa, Constance
  • Campbell, Catherine
Abstract
The lifetime risk of acquiring HIV infection in many rural as well as urban areas of southern Africa is currently as high as two-in-three. For women, much of this risk still accrues rapidly at young ages despite high levels of knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Thus, programmes that are more participatory and address underlying structural and community-level factors appear to be essential. We use cross-sectional data from a large-scale, population-based survey in rural eastern Zimbabwe to describe the relationships between membership of different forms of community group and young women's chances of avoiding HIV. Our results show that participation in local community groups is often positively associated with successful avoidance of HIV, which, in turn, is positively associated with psychosocial determinants of safer behaviour. However, whether or not these relationships hold depends on a range of factors that include how well the group functions, the purpose of the group, and the education level of the individual participant. We identify factors that may influence the social capital value of community groups in relation to HIV prevention at the individual, group, and community levels. Young women with secondary education participate disproportionately in well-functioning community groups and are more likely to avoid HIV when they do participate. Longitudinal studies are needed: (i) to establish whether community group membership supports the development of safer lifestyles or merely has greater appeal to individuals already predisposed towards such lifestyles, and (ii) to pinpoint directions of causality between hypothesised mediating factors. In-depth research is needed on the specific qualities of community groups that enhance their contribution to HIV control. However, our findings suggest that promotion of and organisational development and training among community groups could well be an effective HIV control strategy.

Suggested Citation

  • Gregson, Simon & Terceira, Nicola & Mushati, Phyllis & Nyamukapa, Constance & Campbell, Catherine, 2004. "Community group participation:: Can it help young women to avoid HIV? An exploratory study of social capital and school education in rural Zimbabwe," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(11), pages 2119-2132, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:58:y:2004:i:11:p:2119-2132
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Muhammad Javed SHEIKH & Ma'rof REDZUAN & Asnarulkhadi Abu SAMAH & Nobaya AHMAD, 2015. "Identifying sources of social capital among the farmers of the rural Sindh province of Pakistan," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 61(4), pages 189-195.
    2. Pronyk, Paul M. & Harpham, Trudy & Morison, Linda A. & Hargreaves, James R. & Kim, Julia C. & Phetla, Godfrey & Watts, Charlotte H. & Porter, John D., 2008. "Is social capital associated with HIV risk in rural South Africa?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(9), pages 1999-2010, May.
    3. Munyaradzi Hwami, 2014. "Education of the Peasantry in Zimbabwe as Internal Colonialism," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(2), pages 21582440145, May.
    4. Campbell, Catherine, 2020. "Social capital, social movements and global public health: Fighting for health-enabling contexts in marginalised settings," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    5. Kumar, Santosh & Calvo, Rocio & Avendano, Mauricio & Sivaramakrishnan, Kavita & Berkman, Lisa F., 2012. "Social support, volunteering and health around the world: Cross-national evidence from 139 countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(5), pages 696-706.
    6. Pronyk, Paul M. & Harpham, Trudy & Busza, Joanna & Phetla, Godfrey & Morison, Linda A. & Hargreaves, James R. & Kim, Julia C. & Watts, Charlotte H. & Porter, John D., 2008. "Can social capital be intentionally generated? A randomized trial from rural South Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(10), pages 1559-1570, November.
    7. Winfred Avogo & Victor Agadjanian, 2013. "Men’s Migration, Women’s Personal Networks, and Responses to HIV/AIDS in Mozambique," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-21, March.
    8. Yusuf Ransome & Meagan Zarwell & William T Robinson, 2019. "Participation in community groups increases the likelihood of PrEP awareness: New Orleans NHBS-MSM Cycle, 2014," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(3), pages 1-11, March.
    9. Austrian, Karen & Muthengi, Eunice, 2014. "Can economic assets increase girls' risk of sexual harassment? Evaluation results from a social, health and economic asset-building intervention for vulnerable adolescent girls in Uganda," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(P2), pages 168-175.
    10. Campbell, Catherine & Andersen, Louise & Mutsikiwa, Alice & Pufall, Erica & Skovdal, Morten & Madanhire, Claudius & Nyamukapa, Connie & Gregson, Simon, 2015. "Factors shaping the HIV-competence of two primary schools in rural Zimbabwe," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 226-236.
    11. Mulumeoderhwa Buhendwa & Yvonne Sliep & Gugu Gladness Mchunu & Celenkosini Thembelenkosini Nxumalo, 2022. "Exploring the Influence of Social Capital on HIV Prevention with Migrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Living in Durban, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-19, December.
    12. Lindau, Stacy Tessler & Jerome, Jessica & Miller, Kate & Monk, Elizabeth & Garcia, Patricia & Cohen, Mardge, 2006. "Mothers on the margins: Implications for eradicating perinatal HIV," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 59-69, January.

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