Health Risks in Our Environment: Urban Slum Youth’ Perspectives Using Photovoice in Kampala, Uganda

Charles Ssemugabo, Sarah Nalinya, Grace Biyinzika Lubega, Rawlance Ndejjo and David Musoke
Additional contact information
Charles Ssemugabo: Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala 7072, Uganda
Sarah Nalinya: Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala 7072, Uganda
Grace Biyinzika Lubega: Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala 7072, Uganda
Rawlance Ndejjo: Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala 7072, Uganda
David Musoke: Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala 7072, Uganda

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Due to increasing urbanization, many people find themselves living in slums that expose them to several health risks. We explored urban health risks that fall short of the planetary boundaries in an urban slum in Kampala, Uganda using photovoice. We selected, trained, and assigned ten youth (five females and five males) to take photos on urban health risks. The photographs were discussed, and transcripts were analyzed based on the doughnut economics model using content analysis in NVivo 12. Environments and actions of slum dwellers expose them to health risks, and cause them to live at the edge of planetary boundaries. Environmental sanitation challenges, including solid and liquid waste management, excreta management, and food hygiene and safety expose slum dwellers to risks at the edge of the lower boundary of the planet. Urban conditions expose slum dwellers to poor physical infrastructure, undesirable work conditions, pollution, and health and safety challenges. Crime, violence, and substance use were also viewed as vices that make slum environments dangerous habitats. On the other hand, practices like inhabiting wetlands and using biomass fuels in addition to traffic fumes expose slum dwellers to effects associated with living above the planetary boundaries. Urban youth reflected on health risks that have immediate effects on their health and day-to-day living. Urbanization, especially in low resource settings, needs to be cognizant of the ensuing risks to health and thus ensure sustainable growth.

Keywords: planetary boundaries; ecological ceiling; social foundation; empowerment; photographs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/1/248/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/1/248/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2020:i:1:p:248-:d:470150

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().