title: Health-Seeking Behaviour towards Poverty-Related Disease (PRDs): A Qualitative Study of People Living in Camps and on Campuses in Cameroon.
abstract: Poverty-Related Diseases (PRDs) emphasize poverty as a 'breeding-ground' for a range of diseases. The study presented here starts from the premise that poverty is a general condition that can limit people's capacity to prevent, mitigate or treat diseases. Using an interpretation of health seeking behaviour (HSB), inspired by the salutogenic approach, we investigated how people deal with PRDs, their ability and strategies put in place to cope. We collected HSB data from two groups of respondents in Cameroon: labourers of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) living in settlements called camps and students of the state universities of Buea and Yaoundé living in settlements we refer to as campuses. By selecting these groups, the study offers a unique view of how different people cope with similar health challenges. We carried out semi-structured interviews with 21 camp dwellers and 21 students in a cross-sectional study. Our findings revealed 1) respondents use multiple resources to cope with PRDs. 2) Respondents' perceptions of diseases and connection with poverty closely ties to general hygienic conditions of their living environment. 3) Utilisation of health facilities is not strongly dependent on financial resources. 4) Volatile health facilities are a major challenge and reason for people to revert to other health resources. The study brings out the need for organisations (governmental and non-governmental) to strengthen people's capacities to cope with health situations through better health and housing policies geared at incorporating practices currently used by the people and supporting pro-hygienic initiatives.
authors.affiliation: Health and Society (HSO) group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant studies (IMPM), Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3817-4973
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Makoge
authors.affiliation: Knowledge Technology and Innovation (KTI) group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Harro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maat
authors.affiliation: Health and Society (HSO) group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lenneke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vaandrager
authors.affiliation: Health and Society (HSO) group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koelen
mesh_terms: D002163:Cameroon; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011203:Poverty; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013334:Students