A baseline cross-sectional survey of women's and household-level health indicators in Tsakare Community, Mount Darwin District, Zimbabwe: findings to inform targeted public health interventions.
- 1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.
- 2Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.
- 3Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Abstract
Background
A clear understanding of community health is essential for guiding public health interventions. This baseline survey was conducted within the University of Zimbabwe's Education 5.0 initiative to generate foundational evidence for targeted interventions in the Tsakare Community, Mount Darwin District, Zimbabwe.Objective
To describe sociodemographic characteristics, maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, knowledge of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, HIV awareness, and household management of childhood illnesses among women in the Tsakare Community.Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, targeting women knowledgeable about household health issues. Participants were randomly selected and data collected via a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were applied for analysis.Results
Data from 401 women were analysed. The median age was 31 years and median age at first marriage was 18 years. Hypertension symptom awareness was low, with only 41.7% recognising severe headaches as a symptom, while 17.1% had elevated blood pressure. For diabetes, 53.4% identified fatigue as a symptom, yet only 11.8% recognised genetic predisposition as a risk factor. HIV knowledge was moderate, with persistent misconceptions about non-risk behaviours. Most caregivers relied on clinic medication for childhood illnesses, though home and traditional remedies remained common.Conclusion
These findings highlight gaps in health literacy, early marriage practices, and limited awareness of chronic and infectious diseases in Tsakare. Targeted, Education 5.0 driven interventions are needed to improve health literacy, strengthen maternal and child health services, and scale up prevention and screening for chronic and infectious diseases.
Related
- Community-based digital surveillance for scabies-compatible presentations in Nyasa District, Tanzania: A cross-sectional household screening study
- Contact coverage, content of care and inequality in antenatal care and routine immunisation in rural Uttar Pradesh, India: a repeated cross-sectional analysis of household surveys and direct observations of community health sessions
- Household environmental management practices, community engagement, and self-reported malaria incidence in urban and rural communities of Malawi
- Integrated nutrition-sensitive interventions are associated with improvements in household food security and dietary diversity among vulnerable women in the host communities of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh: Findings from a pre-post comparison study
- Can fluoxetine's diminished efficacy in pediatric depression be explained by study sites, baseline severity, age, and psychological interventions? A secondary exploratory meta-regression
BibTeX
@article{makurumidze2026baseline,
title = {{A baseline cross-sectional survey of women's and household-level health indicators in Tsakare Community, Mount Darwin District, Zimbabwe: findings to inform targeted public health interventions.}},
author = {Richard Makurumidze and Sibusiso Jokomo and Shuvai Chikombe and Memory Chimsimbe and Pamela Gorejena and Reason Tizora and Jayjay Karumazondo and Joseph Nyakuchena and Tinashe Mangena and George Mapiye and Cremance Tshuma and Rutendo Gutsire and Jephat Chifamba and Joconiah Chirenda and Fiona Makoni and Justen Manasa and Jonathan Matenga and Marvellous Mhloyi and Simbarashe Rusakaniko},
journal = {Global health action},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1080/16549716.2026.2746846},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42886205},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A baseline cross-sectional survey of women's and household-level health indicators in Tsakare Community, Mount Darwin District, Zimbabwe: findings to inform targeted public health interventions.
AU - Richard Makurumidze
AU - Sibusiso Jokomo
AU - Shuvai Chikombe
AU - Memory Chimsimbe
AU - Pamela Gorejena
AU - Reason Tizora
AU - Jayjay Karumazondo
AU - Joseph Nyakuchena
AU - Tinashe Mangena
AU - George Mapiye
AU - Cremance Tshuma
AU - Rutendo Gutsire
AU - Jephat Chifamba
AU - Joconiah Chirenda
AU - Fiona Makoni
AU - Justen Manasa
AU - Jonathan Matenga
AU - Marvellous Mhloyi
AU - Simbarashe Rusakaniko
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
JO - Global health action
DO - 10.1080/16549716.2026.2746846
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42886205
AB - Background A clear understanding of community health is essential for guiding public health interventions. This baseline survey was conducted within the University of Zimbabwe's Education 5.0 initiative to generate foundational evidence for targeted interventions in the Tsakare Community, Mount Darwin District, Zimbabwe.Objective To describe sociodemographic characteristics, maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, knowledge of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, HIV awareness, and household management of childhood illnesses among women in the Tsakare Community.Methods A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, targeting women knowledgeable about household health issues. Participants were randomly selected and data collected via a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were applied for analysis.Results Data from 401 women were analysed. The median age was 31 years and median age at first marriage was 18 years. Hypertension symptom awareness was low, with only 41.7% recognising severe headaches as a symptom, while 17.1% had elevated blood pressure. For diabetes, 53.4% identified fatigue as a symptom, yet only 11.8% recognised genetic predisposition as a risk factor. HIV knowledge was moderate, with persistent misconceptions about non-risk behaviours. Most caregivers relied on clinic medication for childhood illnesses, though home and traditional remedies remained common.Conclusion These findings highlight gaps in health literacy, early marriage practices, and limited awareness of chronic and infectious diseases in Tsakare. Targeted, Education 5.0 driven interventions are needed to improve health literacy, strengthen maternal and child health services, and scale up prevention and screening for chronic and infectious diseases.
SN - 1654-9716
SN - 1654-9880
ER -