What social determinants will cause ethical challenges in geriatric care? Comments from South Africa

Journal of Public Health in Africa · 3 authors, 3 centres

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TL;DR

A survey of healthcare providers and managers in South Africa found that social determinants such as limited resources, corruption, and the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impact geriatric health and lead to ethical challenges in care.

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This cross-sectional study used a literature-derived questionnaire to investigate social determinants affecting geriatric care in South Africa. Twenty-two participants from six geriatric institutions in three provinces rated 20 statements on a 5-point Likert scale. The study concluded that these social determinants, compounded by issues like corruption, limited resources, and the COVID-19 pandemic, create ethical challenges in geriatric care. Limitations include the small, non-representative sample and the use of convenience and purposeful sampling, which may affect generalizability.

STUDY TYPE

cross-sectional

SPECIALTY

public health

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AI pipeline

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10334431

What social determinants will cause ethical challenges in geriatric care? Comments from South Africa

Journal of Public Health in Africa

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Background Social determinants are defined as those nonmedical factors that influence health. Their influence is especially evident in vulnerable communities, such as the geriatric one. However, which social determinants will cause ethical challenges in geriatric healthcare in South Africa are not yet confirmed. Objective This study first identified which social determinants influence geriatric care. The study then established which of these social determinants raises ethical challenges in geriatric care. Methods Twenty statements were identified from the literature review and were grouped into 3 indexes, focusing respectively on i) a general view on public health and social determinants; ii) social determinants influencing geriatric people’s health; iii) the consequences of social determinants on geriatric people’s health. The rating was based on presenting the statements employing a 5- point Likert scale. Results The rating of statements confirmed the generally accepted view that social determinants impact geriatric people’s health. The responses to the statements were an additional confirmation that the quality and access to healthcare services influence geriatric care and lead to ethical challenges. Matters such as corruption, limited resources, and the COVID-19 pandemic contribute to the influence of social determinants and the expected but failed ethical behavior toward the geriatric community. Conclusion The geriatric community is vulnerable because of the ongoing social factors that have a negative impact on health, of which healthcare quality and provision are significant contributing factors. These factors contribute to ethical challenges in healthcare for the geriatric community. Key words: social determinants, geriatric community, ethical challenges, healthcare

CITATION EXPORT

Laetus Lategan, Gert Van Zyl, Willem Kruger. What social determinants will cause ethical challenges in geriatric care? Comments from South Africa. Journal of Public Health in Africa. (2023). https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2023.2252

AUTHORS

3 · 3 CENTRES

Laetus Lategan, Gert Van Zyl, Willem Kruger

1Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein
2Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein
3Department of Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa