Studying socio-territorial processes in two West African cities: research design and methodology

The SANTINELLES project represents an attempt to develop an innovative methodology to deepen our understanding of urban health inequalities in mid-sized cities in West Africa, and in particular how they are situated within... [ view full abstract ]

The SANTINELLES project represents an attempt to develop an innovative methodology to deepen our understanding of urban health inequalities in mid-sized cities in West Africa, and in particular how they are situated within broader processes of urbanization and the social production of urban places. While there is some existing literature on urbanization and health in Saint Louis, Senegal, these processes are very understudied in Bobo-Dioulasso (the second largest city in Burkina Faso), particularly by health geographers. Our sampling method relied on random spatial sampling of 250 households from a total of eight neighborhoods (four in each city). These neighborhoods were selected to represent the heterogeneity of urban spaces and urban dwellers in each city. We collected a variety of qualitative and quantitative data from each sampled household. Data collection techniques included a household survey, clinical exams of adults and children, and a socio-medical questionnaire. The study relied on several health indicators (including nutritional status and malaria) among children aged 6 to 59 months and adults aged 35 to 59. This paper will provide an overview of the SANTINELLES project’s research design and some of the methodological successes and challenges we faced during the course of data collection.