MIGRATION FOR WORK, MENTAL HEALTH AND AIDS IN MALI

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In collaboration with the Centre Regional de Medecine Traditionelle in Bandiagara Mali, this project investigates how migration for work and other socio-environmental factors affect the occurrence of AIDS and the nature of AIDS related attitudes and behaviors, as well as mental and physical health in the Dogon (primarily farmers), Fulani (primarily herders) and Bozo (primarily fishermen) ethnic groups. It involves an interview of a representative sample of 1002 rural Malians between 16 and 48 years old. Besides the questions dealing with AIDS, the interview examines the social and environmental conditions of the respondents and their socio- cultural attitudes. It also measures psychological functioning and includes a screen for schizophrenia and depressive illnesses. The data collection phase of the project was completed. Interviews and related medical tests were carried out on a representative sample of 1002 respondentsC334 from each ethnic group. This was done using a sampling plan that stratified the respondents in each ethnic group in terms of community size and exposure to Western influence. This last year the data has been coded and priliminary analyses have begun. These analyses indicate that even these rural Malian respondents have a quite accurate understanding of AIDS and the way it is transmitted. Despite this they rarely use condoms although condoms use is significantly greater among the younger than the older respondents. Analyses of the prevalence of mental illness in this population suggests that schizophrenia is relatively rare although depressive illnesses do occur relatively frequently. The incidence of mental problems differs among the three ethnic groups we examined. The hypothesis that the Malian ethnic group was particularly affected by migration for work was confirmed although this group actually had a lower level of mental problems than the other groups. This year a paper describing the development and the carrying out of this unusual research project was accepted for publication.