Assessing the Effects of Single Parenting on Child’s Health in Mampong Municipality of Ghana

Abstract

The study assessed the effects of single parenting on child’s health in Mampong Municipality of Ghana. The study used a survey research and employed purposive and snowball sampling in selecting respondents. The sample size for the study was one hundred respondents limited to single parents with a child or children residing in various communities in Mampong Municipality. Questionnaire and unstructured interviews were the research instruments used for the study. Findings show that divorce is the major cause of single parenting which constituted 55 percent of the single parents interviewed, majority (85%) of the respondents stated that their children not often fall sick and almost all the respondents (95%) indicated the presence of health care facilities in their communities. The study concluded that due to the increased changes from the traditional ways of doing things single parents have increased and now widespread among the Ghanaian populace and single parenting does not affect child’s health. The study recommended that proper counseling is needed for couples before they enter into marriage, Ghanaians should continue to promote and consolidate the practice of extended family system and there should be a social welfare system to help needy families through economic empowerment.

Keywords: Single parenting, Child’s health, family structure, parenthood, parents