The research-education interface: results of household survey, Mozambique, 2010

Objective: To understand household structure as a basis for future educational planning of a programme to educate health professionals with a holistic view of health and health-care, based on health promotion using the ‘common risk factor approach' and the determinants of health. Methods: The “One student one family” course is part the community health program, which runs from the first until the eighth semester in: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and nutrition courses. One student from each discipline was assigned to one family; a group of 4 interdisciplinary students cared for four families within their own discipline. Each student group carried out a household survey to determine size; age-structure; gender ratio; marital status and educational attainment of the household. Results: The results showed: 208 students were caring for 1196households and the mean number of persons per household was 5 to 6 person per group. Household age-structure was: 0-4 years 17.7%; 10-14 years 16.6%; from 30-65-years-old were 19.7% Gender distribution:.49.4% male; female 50.6%, a sex-ratio of 1.02. Marital status: single 69.2% (828 people), married 20.1% (240 people). Education attainment: 45.2% had attended primary level; university level 1.4%; no schooling 31.8%, basic level 15.5% and secondary level 6.1%. Student was the highest occupation group (41.4%) and domestic occupation was 12.5% of the sample. Conclusion: Understanding the community structure is a preliminary step in the development of a curriculum designed to meet the health needs of the community.