Disability in an urban black community in Zimbabwe.
OBJECTIVE
This study was undertaken to establish which health conditions are primarily responsible for disability and morbidity in a high-density area in Harare, Zimbabwe.


METHODS
House-to-house screening visits were followed up by medical examination and interview of those identified as having a functional limitation.


RESULTS
Information was obtained during screening on 10,839 residents. Of these, 608 were examined by medical professionals. The rate of disability/morbidity was 5.6% for the whole sample. Headaches and migraine were the most common problem. These were followed by back pain, hypertension and osteoarthritis. HIV/AIDS was the fifth most common condition. Depression, based on responses to a screening tool, was evident in one-third of the subjects. Common activity limitations included difficulty with the performance of housework activities and with walking. HIV/AIDS resulted in the most severe activity limitation, in that cognitive functions were also affected.


CONCLUSIONS
The middle-aged and elderly with osteoarthritis and young women with depression constitute vulnerable groups who are not in a position to demand services. The older women particularly need assistance as they are bearing the double burden of their own degenerative conditions and the results of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Jelsma
J
J
Division of Physiotherapy, University of Cape Town, South Africa. jjelsma@uctgsh1.uct.ac.za
Mielke
J
J
Powell
G
G
De Weerdt
W
W
De Cock
P
P
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D044383:Black People; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology