scholarly journals The effect of vitamins B12, B6 and folate supplementation on homocysteine metabolism in a low-income, urbanised, black elderly community in South Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
CJ Grobler ◽  
WH Oldewage-Theron ◽  
JM Chalwe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Folate Supplementation ◽  
Black Elderly

scholarly journals Drivers of Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Overuse across Diverse Hospital Contexts—A Qualitative Study of Prescribers in the UK, Sri Lanka and South Africa

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 94
Author(s):  
Carolyn Tarrant ◽  
Andrew M. Colman ◽  
David R. Jenkins ◽  
Edmund Chattoe-Brown ◽  
Nelun Perera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Low Income ◽  
System Level ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Uk

Antimicrobial stewardship programs focus on reducing overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics (BSAs), primarily through interventions to change prescribing behavior. This study aims to identify multi-level influences on BSA overuse across diverse high and low income, and public and private, healthcare contexts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 46 prescribers from hospitals in the UK, Sri Lanka, and South Africa, including public and private providers. Interviews explored decision making about prescribing BSAs, drivers of the use of BSAs, and benefits of BSAs to various stakeholders, and were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Analysis identified drivers of BSA overuse at the individual, social and structural levels. Structural drivers of overuse varied significantly across contexts and included: system-level factors generating tensions with stewardship goals; limited material resources within hospitals; and patient poverty, lack of infrastructure and resources in local communities. Antimicrobial stewardship needs to encompass efforts to reduce the reliance on BSAs as a solution to context-specific structural conditions.

scholarly journals Reported Behavioural Patterns of Electricity Use among Low-Income Households in Makhanda, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7271
Author(s):  
Uzziah Mutumbi ◽  
Gladman Thondhlana ◽  
Sheunesu Ruwanza
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Electricity Use ◽  
Behavioural Patterns ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
Basic Services ◽  
Low Income Households

Households consume up to 20% of overall electricity consumption globally; hence, they are important role players in efforts towards promoting sustainable consumption. Research on electricity use behaviour is important for informing intervention strategies; however, relative to developed countries, research on this subject is lacking in developing countries where electricity access is limited. In South Africa, electricity use behaviour among poor neighbourhoods remains little studied and understood. This study was carried out among low-income households in Makhanda, South Africa, characterised by high poverty and unemployment rates, low education levels, and limited access to basic services. Using a self-reporting approach, electricity use behaviour of low-income households was assessed against a list of common household electricity use actions. A survey of 297 households was conducted. The findings show mixed results, with households reporting both good electricity use behaviour (e.g., cooling down hot food before refrigeration and using washing machines on full load) and wasteful actions (e.g., leaving appliances on standby). Our results show that electricity use behaviour was influenced by socio-psychological values including universalism, benevolence, hedonism, and power. Some of the reported electricity behavioural patterns are consistent with those previously reported among high-income households. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

scholarly journals Fatal drowning in the Western Cape, South Africa: a 7-year retrospective, epidemiological study

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 529-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Jayne Saunders ◽  
Robyn Adriaanse ◽  
Abigail Simons ◽  
Ashley van Niekerk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Registration System ◽  
Drowning Prevention ◽  
Adult Men ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Public Holidays

IntroductionDrowning is a neglected public health threat in low-income and middle-income countries where the greatest drowning burden is observed. There is a paucity of drowning surveillance data from low-resource settings, particularly in Africa. Understanding local epidemiological factors will enable the development of context-specific drowning prevention initiatives and the appropriate allocation of resources.AimThe primary aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of fatal drowning in the Western Cape, South Africa.MethodThis retrospective study describes fatal drowning incidents captured in the Western Cape vital registration system between 2010 and 2016. Data were obtained from the Forensic Pathology Services of the Western Cape Government. One-way analysis of variance was performed to detect a trend in mean drowning mortality rates between 2010 and 2016. χ2 tests for independence were performed to detect differences in the distribution of variables between groups.ResultsA total of 1391 fatal drownings occurred in the Western Cape between 2010 and 2016, with an age-adjusted drowning mortality rate of 3.2 per 100 000 population. Rates were fourfold higher in men compared with women. Children, particularly young children aged 0–4 years, and young adult men between 20 and 34 years of age were identified to be at high risk of fatal drowning. Drowning occurred predominantly in large, open bodies of water with concentrations in summer and public holidays.ConclusionsThe Western Cape drowning prevention strategy should prioritise interventions to reduce drowning in children and young adult men, with a targeted focus on festive periods such as public holidays.

scholarly journals Behavioural response to the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0250269
Author(s):  
Umakrishnan Kollamparambil ◽  
Adeola Oyenubi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Preventive Strategy ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Response Behaviour ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Preventive Behaviour ◽  
Nationally Representative

Background Given the economic and social divide that exists in South Africa, it is critical to manage the health response of its residents to the Covid-19 pandemic within the different socio-economic contexts that define the lived realities of individuals. Objective The objective of this study is to analyse the Covid-19 preventive behaviour and the socio-economic drivers behind the health-response behaviour. Data The study employs data from waves 1 and 2 of South Africa’s nationally representative National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS)—Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (CRAM). The nationally representative panel data has a sample of 7073 individuals in Wave 1 and 5676 individuals in Wave 2. Methods The study uses bivariate statistics, concentration indices and multivariate estimation techniques, ranging from a probit, control-function approach, special-regressor method and seemingly unrelated regression to account for endogeneity while identifying the drivers of the response behaviour. Findings The findings indicate enhanced behavioural responsiveness to Covid-19. Preventive behaviour is evolving over time; the use of face mask has overtaken handwashing as the most utilised preventive measure. Other measures, like social distancing, avoiding close contact, avoiding big groups and staying at home, have declined between the two periods of the study. There is increased risk perception with significant concentration among the higher income groups, the educated and older respondents. Our findings validate the health-belief model, with perceived risk, self-efficacy, perceived awareness and barriers to preventive strategy adoption identified as significant drivers of health-response behaviour. Measures such as social distancing, avoiding close contact, and the use of sanitisers are practised more by the rich and educated, but not by the low-income respondents. Conclusion The respondents from lower socio-economic backgrounds are associated with optimism bias and face barriers to the adoption of preventive strategies. This requires targeted policy attention in order to make response behaviour effective.

Sustainable housing financing model to reduce South Africa housing deficit

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 410-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bashir Olanrewaju Ganiyu ◽  
Julius Ayodeji Fapohunda ◽  
Rainer Haldenwang
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
South African Government ◽  
The South ◽  
African Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mortgage Payment

Purpose This study aims to identify and establish effective housing financing concepts to be adopted by government in achieving its mandate of providing sustainable affordable housing for the poor to decrease the building of shacks, as well as proposing solutions to the housing deficit in South Africa. A rise in demand and shortage in supply of housing calls for the need to address issues of affordable housing in South Africa, and developing countries in general, to ensure a stable and promising future for poor families. Design/methodology/approach Literature has revealed that the South African government, at all levels, accorded high priority to the provision of low-cost housing. Thus, government has adopted subsidy payment as a method of financing affordable housing to ensure that houses are allocated free to the beneficiaries. This also addresses the historically race-based inequalities of the past, but unfortunately, this has not been fully realised. This study uses a sequential mixed method approach, where private housing developers and general building contractors were the research participants. The qualitative data were analysed using a case-by-case analysis, and quantitative data were analysed using a descriptive statistical technique on SPSS. Findings The results of the qualitative analysis reveal a gross abuse of the housing subsidies system by the beneficiaries of government-funded housing in South Africa. This is evident from illegal sale of the houses below market value. This has led to a continual building of shacks and an increased number of people on the housing waiting list instead of a decrease in the housing deficit. The results from quantitative analysis affirm the use of “Mortgage Payment Subsidies, Mortgage Payment Deductions, Down-Payment Grant and Mortgage Interest Deductions” as viable alternatives to subsidy payment currently in use to finance affordable housing projects by the South African Government. Practical implications At the moment, the focus of the South African National Government is continual provision of free housing to the historically disadvantage citizens, but the housing financing method being used encourages unapproved transfer of ownership in the affordable housing sector. This study thus recommends the use of an all-inclusive housing financing method that requires a monetary contribution from the beneficiaries to enable them take control of the process. Originality/value The relational interface model proposed in this study will reduce pressure on government budgetary provision for housing and guarantee quick return of private developers’ investment in housing. Government must, as a matter of urgency, launch a continuous awareness programme to educate the low-income population on the value and the long-term benefits of the housing.

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