Quality of Life and Positive Youth Development in Grahamstown East, South Africa

Author(s):  
Valerie Møller
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marika Warner ◽  
Gillian White ◽  
Jackie Robinson ◽  
John Cairney ◽  
Jessica Fraser-Thomas

Abstract Background Youth facing barriers created by social marginalization are at a greater risk of adverse health outcomes, lower educational and occupational attainment, and decreased overall quality of life as adults. The negative psychosocial and physiological consequences of significant barriers to positive development during youth may be mitigated by interventions promoting physical activity, psychosocial development, and healthy behaviours. Sport for Development programming is a possible opportunity for youth facing barriers to engage in activities that foster positive youth development, which may improve socioeconomic outcomes, quality of life and long-term health status in this population. This paper outlines the study protocol measuring impact of an urban Sport for Development facility on positive youth development in youth facing barriers. Methods/design Participants aged 6–29 will be recruited from programs at an urban Sport for Development facility to a 2-year prospective longitudinal mixed-methods study. Participants will be stratified by age into three cohorts with age-specific outcomes. Age-specific positive youth development outcomes will be assessed quantitatively by self-report and pedometer at baseline and after 6 months, 1-year, and 2-years of program participation. Focus groups will provide data regarding youth experience and the impact of facility and program components on youth outcomes. Discussion Our findings will inform best-practice and feasibility of a Sport for Development facility delivering programs in a socially and economically challenged urban setting in a high-income country. Trial registration ISRCTN67016999. Date of registration: October 22, 2019.


Author(s):  
Chao Wang ◽  
Run Pu ◽  
Bishwajit Ghose ◽  
Shangfeng Tang

Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is a serious health concern especially among the elderly population and has significant bearing on health and quality of life. Not much is known about the relationship between chronic pain with self-reported health and quality of life among older populations in low-resource settings. Based on sub-national data from South Africa and Uganda, the present study aimed to explore whether the older population living with CMP report health and quality of life differently compared to those with no CMP complaints. This study was based on cross-sectional data on 1495 South African and Ugandan men and women collected from the SAGE Well-Being of Older People Study. Outcome variables were self-reported physical and mental health and quality of life (QoL). Mental health was assessed by self-reported depressive symptoms during the last 12 months. CMP was assessed by self-reported generalised pain as well as back pain. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to measure the association between health and QoL with CMP by adjusting for potential demographic and environmental confounders. The prevalence of poor self-rated health (61.2%, 95% CI = 51.7, 70.0), depression (37.2%, 95% CI = 34.8, 39.6) and QoL (80.5%, 95% CI = 70.8, 87.5) was considerably high in the study population. Mild/moderate and Severe/extreme generalised pain were reported respectively by 34.5% (95% CI = 28.9, 40.5) and 15.7% (95% CI = 12.2, 19.9) of the respondents, while back pain was reported by 53.3% (95% CI = 45.8, 60.4). The prevalence of both types was significantly higher among women than in men (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, both generalised pain and back pain significantly predicted poor health, depression and QoL, however, it varied between the two different populations. Back pain was associated with higher odds of poor self-rated health [OR = 1.813, 95% CI = 1.308, 2.512], depression [1.640, 95% CI = 1.425, 3.964] and poor QoL [1.505, 95% CI = 1.028, 2.202] in South Africa, but not in Uganda. Compared to having no generalised pain, having Mild/Moderate [OR = 2.309, 95% CI = 1.219, 7.438] and Severe/Extreme [OR = 2.271, 95% CI = 1.447, 4.143] generalised pain was associated with significantly higher odds of poor self-rated health in South Africa. An overwhelmingly high proportion of the sample population reported poor health, quality of life and depression. Among older individuals, health interventions that address CMP may help promote subjective health and quality and life and improve psychological health.


2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 882-889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Tabani Mpofu

This study looked at the phenomenon of the quality of life (QoL) as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI), which is a composite statistic used to rank countries by the level of “human development”. Measuring and determining what is QoL is not an easy task. In this study, using HDI as the yardstick for QoL, the concepts of standard of living and per capita income were examined closely in relation to the role of government in its public expenditure programmes and how these programmes in turn influenced QoL. This research question was seen as the key to addressing the phenomenon of QoL. In particular, the role of government expenditure on health and education seems to signify the commitment of a government in improving the HDI or QoL. Using data on government expenditure of South Africa for the period 1995 to 2011, the relationships amongst these variables were examined. The findings indicate that there seems to be a significant correlation between HDI and government spending on health and education as a percentage of GDP, but there seems to be of no significance to include the variable government spending on health and education as a percentage of total government spending. The findings tell us that between 1995 and 2011, government spending on education as a percentage of GDP has had a positive impact on HDI. However, government spending on health as a percentage of GDP has had a retarding effect as shown by the negative coefficient of variation. It then implies that for South Africa to realize the MDG goals and improve on the HDI, public spending on health as a percentage of GDP needs to be significantly increased.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 1196-1201
Author(s):  
F.K. Matlakala ◽  
◽  
J.C. Makhubele ◽  
D.T. Masilo ◽  
M.M. Kwakwa ◽  
...  

Migrants’ youth are seen as one of the vulnerable populations in South Africa. This is largely due to the fact that they are seen as people who come to take job opportunities of the youth in the host country. In order to cope with their fear and stress, migrants indulge in binge consumption of alcohol. It is in light of that that in this paper researchers aimed to accentuate alcohol abuse as a militating factor against the quality of life for migrants’ youth population in selected provinces of South Africa. The study adopted qualitative approach and case study design to highlight how alcohol is seen as a militating factor against quality of life. The study population was drawn from three provinces in South Africa using convenient sampling technique to sample three participants. Moreover, the data was collected telephonically in three selected provinces and analysed thematically. The findings indicate that due to the accessibility, availability, affordability and stress migrants’ youth indulge in binge consumption. Thus, researchers recommend that policymakers should make guidelines that will restrict mushrooming of alcohol outlets – be regulation to prohibit overcrowding of outlets in selected provinces of South Africa.


2016 ◽  
Vol 134 (3) ◽  
pp. 1051-1075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talita Greyling ◽  
Stephanié Rossouw

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