Perception of the health of children living and working on the streets of Sunnyside. Part 1: Literature review and methodology.

The phenomenon of street children is generating increasing concern in South Africa. The number of street children has grown because of the current economic hardship in South Africa, increasing levels of violence and widespread family and community disruption. In terms of health, it is clear that street children may be vulnerable to a range of severe risks. The street child's view of health may differ considerably from that of the researcher. Discrepancies exist between the perceptions of the street children, and those of community health workers. This can have serious consequences when planning health promotion strategies (Jenkins & Emmet 1997:427). The purpose of the study was to describe the perceptions of street children concerning their own health. A qualitative descriptive design was followed in this study. Focus groups were used to obtain data. The findings of this research revealed five categories: Influences the environment has on street children's wellness Paths of homelessness of street children of Sunnyside that play a leading role in their wellness Wellness seeking behaviors of the street children of Sunnyside and the access to care they make use of Sources of advice and wellness education the street children of Sunnyside make use of Illnesses perceived by the street children of Sunnyside.