Abstract (300 words maximum)
Intro: Young women in sub-Saharan Africa experience a variety of stressors and negative health outcomes. Women who dwell in slums are at particular risk of high stress and poor health. In order to survive in these difficult environments, young women have to develop significant resiliencies that help them deal with the challenges they face. The slums of Kampala, Uganda represent one such environment in which young women face significant challenges but also display incredible resiliency. However, these young women’s perspectives are poorly understood and rarely reported in the scientific literature.
Methods: As part of an ongoing NIH-funded R01 intervention study, we conducted six focus groups with ten young women each dwelling in the slums of Kampala (n = 60). We asked about proximal drivers of stress and resiliency, as well as service experiences. We used thematic analysis to inductively identify themes.
Results: We identified a series of both community level and individual level resilience factors. Community level resilience factors included family support, friendship and social ties, community leadership, sports and other social organizations, religious community, and seeing others succeed. Individual level resilience factors included persistence, optimism, self-reliance, hard work, saving money, and dance.
Conclusions: This poster presents the perspectives of a vulnerable population whose voices are rarely reported in the scientific literature. They underscored the critical importance of optimism and positive social ties in surviving the most difficult circumstances. They also highlighted a variety of community and individual level resources that should be invested in to address the proximal drivers of stress in this community. These findings warrant attention from policymakers, interventionists, and researchers seeking to promote health among young, slum dwelling women.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
WCHHS - Social Work and Human Services
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Matthew Lyons
Community resiliency and individual resiliency among young, slum dwelling women in Kampala, Uganda: Results from the TOPOWA Study.
Intro: Young women in sub-Saharan Africa experience a variety of stressors and negative health outcomes. Women who dwell in slums are at particular risk of high stress and poor health. In order to survive in these difficult environments, young women have to develop significant resiliencies that help them deal with the challenges they face. The slums of Kampala, Uganda represent one such environment in which young women face significant challenges but also display incredible resiliency. However, these young women’s perspectives are poorly understood and rarely reported in the scientific literature.
Methods: As part of an ongoing NIH-funded R01 intervention study, we conducted six focus groups with ten young women each dwelling in the slums of Kampala (n = 60). We asked about proximal drivers of stress and resiliency, as well as service experiences. We used thematic analysis to inductively identify themes.
Results: We identified a series of both community level and individual level resilience factors. Community level resilience factors included family support, friendship and social ties, community leadership, sports and other social organizations, religious community, and seeing others succeed. Individual level resilience factors included persistence, optimism, self-reliance, hard work, saving money, and dance.
Conclusions: This poster presents the perspectives of a vulnerable population whose voices are rarely reported in the scientific literature. They underscored the critical importance of optimism and positive social ties in surviving the most difficult circumstances. They also highlighted a variety of community and individual level resources that should be invested in to address the proximal drivers of stress in this community. These findings warrant attention from policymakers, interventionists, and researchers seeking to promote health among young, slum dwelling women.