COVID-19 Daily Realities for Families: A South African Sample

Kezia Ruth October, Lisa Rene’ Petersen, Babatope Adebiyi, Edna Rich and Nicolette Vanessa Roman
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Kezia Ruth October: Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Families, and Society, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
Lisa Rene’ Petersen: Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Families, and Society, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
Babatope Adebiyi: Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Families, and Society, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
Edna Rich: Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Families, and Society, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
Nicolette Vanessa Roman: Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Families, and Society, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic affected families globally. Empirical research has been explored to understand the impact of COVID-19 on families across countries, however, there are limited findings of how COVID-19 has affected the daily realities of families in South Africa. This study used an exploratory qualitative research approach to explore the experiences of COVID-19 for South African families. Findings suggest that the negative outcomes of COVID-19 experienced by South African families included a shift in the daily routines, restrictions on family events, lack of socialization and loss of connections, family conflicts, financial constraints as well as psychological impacts. On the contrary, the positive outcomes included increased family time and communication, cleanliness, and good health status, and improved financial management. Implications for future research should include research focused on the health impacts of COVID-19 on diverse family structures, family compositions, and family dynamics. In-depth research and findings can assist in developing policies and interventions for families.

Keywords: family; family experiences; COVID-19; pandemic; South Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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