Exploring the Cinderella myth: intrahousehold differences in child wellbeing between orphans and non-orphans in Amajuba District, South Africa.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether differences in wellbeing (defined by a variety of education and health outcomes) exist between recent school-aged orphans and non-orphans who live in the same household in a context of high HIV/AIDS mortality in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.


METHODS
The data come from the first 2 years (2004-2006) of an ongoing 3-year longitudinal cohort study in a district in KwaZulu-Natal, the Amajuba Child Health and Well-being Research Project. Using stratified cluster sampling based on school and age, we constructed a cohort of 197 recent orphans and 528 non-orphans aged 9-16 years and their households and caregivers. Household heads, caregivers, and children were interviewed regarding five domains of child wellbeing: demographic, economic, educational, health/nutrition/lifestyle, and psychosocial status.


METHODS
The analytical sample consists of 174 children (87 orphans and 87 comparable non-orphans who live together) at baseline and 124 children in round 2. We estimated a linear regression model using household fixed effects for continuous outcomes (grade adjusted for age, annual expenditure on schooling and body mass index) and a logit model using household fixed effects for categorical variables (malnutrition) to compare co-resident orphans and non-orphans.


RESULTS
We found no statistically significant differences in most education, health and labour outcomes between orphans and the non-orphans with whom they live. Paternal orphans are more likely to be behind in school, and recent mobility has a positive effect on schooling outcomes.
Parikh
Anokhi
A
Health Economics and AIDS Research Division (HEARD), University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa. anokhip@gmail.com
Desilva
Mary Bachman
MB
Cakwe
Mandisa
M
Quinlan
Tim
T
Simon
Jonathon L
JL
Skalicky
Anne
A
Zhuwau
Tom
T
D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D054540:Child, Orphaned; D004467:Economics; D004522:Educational Status; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010333:Paternal Deprivation; D011584:Psychology; D013019:South Africa