ABSTRACT
Important investments in Africa have reduced slightly the levels child mortality but life expectancy still very low. The number of children without surviving biological parents is increasing and orphans are becoming an important social problem. Because Sahelian societies are mostly patriarchal, becoming fatherless or motherless will have different effects on the well being of the child. This paper examines the levels and trends of the survival status of the parents and then, living arrangements of orphans. We describe characteristics of these children with a special focus on education and economic activities. The paper uses the censuses from Chad, Niger and Senegal made available by the African Census Analysis Project (ACAP) held at University of Pennsylvania. These countries collected information on survival status of each biological parent to estimate adult mortality but the potential of this information for research on child well-being is rarely exploited.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This article compares influenza vaccination rates in 1996/97 and 2000/01 and describes the characteristics of adults who were vaccinated. DATA SOURCES: The data on influenza vaccination are from the 1996/97 National Population Health Survey and the 2000/01 Canadian Community Health Survey, both conducted by Statistics Canada. Data on hospitalizations and deaths are from the Hospital Mortality Data Base and the Canadian Mortality Data Base, respectively. ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES: Cross-tabulations were used to estimate rates of vaccination among seniors, people with chronic conditions, and the total population aged 20 or older. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess relationships between being vaccinated and selected characteristics. MAIN RESULTS: Between 1996/97 and 2000/01, the percentage of Canadians aged 20 or older who reported having had a flu shot the previous year rose from 16% to 28%. Rates were higher for seniors and people with chronic conditions. The odds of vaccination were high for residents of middle-to-high income households, people with at least some postsecondary education, former smokers, and people with a regular doctor. Smokers and people who reported their health as good to excellent had lower odds of being vaccinated.
