A quantitative study investigating if the life situation is affected in a positive direction by literacy and numeracy training among semiliterate women and men in Uganda

Abstract

ABSTRACT A quantitative study investigating if the life situation is affected in a positive direction by literacy and numeracy training among semiliterate women and men in Uganda Degree project in Medicine Emelie Efraimsson, 2017 Supervisors: Henrik sjövall and Aloysius Mutebi Sahlgrenska Academy, Department of global health, Gothenburg, Sweden Background Nearly 17% of the world´s adult population is still not literate, two thirds of them being women. People lacking basic skills in reading, writing and arithmetics are very vulnerable in many different ways. They are not only vulnerable to corruption, discrimination, violence and poverty; they are also vulnerable to poorer health and sickness. It is generally assumed that teaching poor women and men to read and perform simple arithmetics is beneficial for health literacy, quality of life and a cost-effective way of using foreign aid, but this assumption is surprisingly poorly documented. Therefore, it is of great relevance to investigate how women's and men´s lives are affected by reading and writing skills. Aim to evaluate the effects of adult literacy training on empowerment variables, socioeconomic situation, quality of life and health literacy among poor semiliterate Ugandan women and men. Method This is an observational cohort study comparing an intervention group consisting of 70 former students of a three year long adult literacy course with a control group consisting of 71 current applicants for the same adult education. The study is based on questionnaires covering the topics language skills, empowerment, socioeconomic situation, health and hygiene situation, health literacy, situation of children, future perspectives and assessment of the adult literacy course. The study was conducted in autumn 2017 in the Wakiso district of Uganda. Results and conclusions This study showed that literacy training in Uganda results in clear positive effects when it comes to empowerment betterments, socioeconomic situation, situation of children and future perspectives. Regarding health, hygiene and health literacy, there were no measurable effects. Keywords: Illiteracy, adult literacy, empowering women