There is widespread concern that the number of children living in “child-headed households” is rapidly increasing as a result of AIDS-related adult mortality in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Based on analyses of data from several representative national surveys over the period 2000–2007, this paper examines the extent to which this is the case in South Africa. It explores trends in the number of children living in child-only households and characterises these children relative to children living in households with adults (mixed-generation households). The findings indicate that the proportion of child-only households is relatively small (0.47% in 2006) and does not appear to be increasing. In addition, the vast majority (92.1%) of children resident in child-only households have a living parent. The findings raise critical questions about the circumstances leading to the formation of child-only households and highlight that they cannot for the main part be ascribed to HIV orphaning. Nonetheless, the number of children living in this household form is not insignificant, and their circumstances, when compared with children in mixed-generation households, indicate a range of challenges, including greater economic vulnerability and inadequate service access. We argue that a solitary focus on the HIV epidemic and its related orphaning as the cause of child-only households masks other important issues for consideration in addressing their needs, and risks the development of inappropriate policies, programmes and interventions.

Age estimation from clavicular ossification has been studied by many researchers based on the pattern and degree of the epiphyseal union through the use of dry bone specimens, radiographs, CT and MRI. These studies found clavicular ossification as a useful age indicator up to the third decade of life. The study aimed to document any population specific influence on age estimation using fusion processes of the clavicular epiphysis between the South African and Kenyan population groups. To achieve this objective a study of one thousand six hundred and five (n=1605) digital radiographs of South African and Kenyan population groups, aged between 14-30 years, were evaluated. The ossification process of the medial clavicular epiphysis was scored against Schmeling's staging system. Growth variations between the two cohorts were carried out using student t-test analysis to assess for any significant differences between the means and standard deviations of the cohorts. A log linear regression test was also applied to test bilateral asymmetry in the ossification status for the medial epiphysis. The results of the paired linear model indicated a wide gap between chronological age (CA) and estimated age (EA) in patients under 20 years. The regression tests observed no significant difference between the EA of the South African and Kenyan populations. The current study yielded no significant differences in the ossification process of the medial clavicle amongst the Black South African and Kenyan populations when using Schmeling's staging system.