Table 1

Pile statement scores and frequency of statements made during participatory wealth ranking in rural South Africa, in descending order of pile statement score
Pile statements
 Theme
 Statement
 General statements








No. of times said


Pile statement score
 No. of times said

Very poor
 Poor but a bit better off
 Doing OK
0.0
 22
 Family and household
 Orphanhood/no parents
 24

0.4
 39
 Food
 Beg for food
 33

1.1
 85
 Begging
 Begging
 49

3.1
 134
 Food
 No food
 137

3.2
 41
 Housing
 Not got shelter
 33

3.7
 58
 Employment
 No one is working
 34

5.2
 101
 Schooling
 Doesn't go to school
 39

5.6
 73
 Clothing
 No clothes/do not have clothes
 73

5.7
 199
 Employment
 Not got job(s)/unemployed
 113

5.8
 22
 Food
 Sleep without food
 17

6.4
 82
 Money
 Don't have/earn money/income
 49

8.3
 100
 Schooling
 Unable to/can't afford to go to school
 66

9.0
 67
 Housing
 Not got housing
 65

9.6
 37
 Schooling
 Cannot afford/does not pay school fee
 18

11.9
 23
 Clothing
 Tattered/torn/poor clothes
 20

14.4
 76
 Housing
 Shacks
 18

15.0
 51
 Housing
 No proper housing/shelter
 18

22.7
 64
 Housing
 Bad/poor housing
 19

24.0
 175
 Employment
 Farms
80
28.4
 145
 Self employment
 Selling fruits and vegetables
39
28.5
 71
 Food
 Mealy meal only
37
28.7
 99
 Employment
 Domestic work
45
29.9
 60
 Pensions
 Pension and many responsibilities
25
34.7
 26
 Food
 At least have food
19
35.1
 28
 Food
 Little food
33
35.7
 47
 Self employment
 Self employed
17
38.2
 55
 Clothing
 Second-hand clothes
21
39.4
 70
 Money
 Little money/income/earn less
29
39.8
 44
 Housing
 Small/little housing
26
40.4
 25
 Schooling
 Attains Matric/std 10/grade 12
17
44.4
 70
 Pensions
 Receiving pension
16
61.4
 79
 Schooling
 Able to/affords to go to school
29
65.4
 28
 Employment
 Got jobs/employed
24
 18
71.0
 32
 Clothing
 Good clothes

58
78.6
 26
 Clothing
 Children have good clothes

30
80.8
 134
 Self employment
 Taxis

41
83.1
 104
 Cars
 Have/drive cars

50
84.7
 101
 Employment
 Government

26
84.8
 162
 Schooling
 Attains university/tertiary

52
86.4
 97
 Employment
 Both husband and wife employed

18
87.9
 163
 Housing
 Big house

96
90.1
 123
 Schooling
 Private/expensive

76
90.4
 73
 Housing
 Beautiful/attractive housing

42
93.8
 65
 Self employment
 Has a business

47
95.5
 74
 Self employment
 Shop owners

32
95.6
 142
 Cars
 Have/drive expensive/flashy cars

102
95.7
 47
 Housing
 Tiled housing

21

Hargreaves et al. Emerging Themes in Epidemiology 2007 4:4   doi:10.1186/1742-7622-4-4