Perceptions of injury causes and solutions in a Johannesburg township: implications for prevention

As with other diseases, citizen perceptions of injury causes and solutions are important determinants of their response to the problem. This study exp lores qualitative responses to questions about the causes and solutions for injuries due to violence, transport, and unintentional burns, falls and ot her causes from 1075 residents in six neighbourhoods of a low-income area i n Johannesburg, South Africa. These included council houses, council apartm ent blocks and informal settlements. Data were analysed using content analy tic procedures. Perceived causes of injury varied sharply between neighbour hoods. Violence was seen as an outcome of unemployment, socialisation, drug abuse and drug dealing in the formal housing areas, while in the informal settlements it was attributed to unemployment, poor housing and environment al conditions, and excessive alcohol consumption. In the formal housing are as, suggested solutions for violence emphasised increased policing and othe r repressive measures that contradicted the attribution of causes to enviro nmental factors. In the informal areas, solutions were more congruent with perceived causes, emphasising housing development, education and employment . Perceived causes and solutions for transport injuries reflected the speci fic context of each. neighbourhood, and indicated strong support for the im plementation of environmental modifications to reduce the speed of motor ve hicles and thus the number of pedestrian injuries. Where perceived causes a nd solutions for violence and transport-related injuries were located beyon d the community in the broader environment, unintentional injuries due to o ther causes were seen as more in the sphere of potential personal control, except in the informal areas where electrification and formal housing provi sion were the most commonly suggested solutions.;Popular constructions of t he causes and solutions for major categories of injury are important in sha ping injury prevention responses, and their careful assessment can increase the likelihood that safety promotion programmes will succeed. (C) 1999 Els evier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.