scholarly journals The nutritional status of Grade 1 pupils, in Bloemfontein, South Africa and its association with socio-demographic data

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanneke Brits ◽  
Riana Augustyn ◽  
Elzette Bezuidenhout ◽  
Marisa Cillie ◽  
Roelof J.v. Vuuren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Running Water ◽  
Child Deaths ◽  
Growth Reference ◽  
Baseline Characteristics ◽  
Socio Economic Factors

Background: Despite the fact that UNICEF declared freedom from hunger and malnutrition abasic human right in 1948, more than 20 million children were severely malnourished in 2010 and a further 170 million were stunted. Malnutrition attributes to > 50% of child deaths by potentiating infectious diseases.Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the extent of malnutrition in Grade 1 pupils in public sector schools in Bloemfontein. An objective of the study was to identify relationships between socio-economic parameters and malnutrition.Method: Grade 1 pupils from ten public schools in Bloemfontein, selected from a random table, were included in the study. Their parents/caregivers gave informed consent and completed a questionnaire regarding baseline characteristics and feeding practices at home.The children were then weighed and measured, and the 2007 WHO Growth Reference forschool-aged children and adolescents used as reference.Results: A total of 187 children were included in the study. The combination of underweight, wasting and stunting gave an 18% prevalence of malnutrition in this study. A BMI of less than the fifth percentile occurred in 27% of the pupils. Factors positively associated withmalnutrition included: Absence of a fridge and/or running water in the house and loweducation and/or unemployment of parents. Illness in the previous month was reported by 41% of the malnourished children.Conclusion: As socio-economic factors that contribute to malnutrition are now known, teachers will be able to identify and refer children with or at risk of malnutrition and indirectly decrease child mortality.

Contributing Factors in Violent Youth Behaviour: A Study in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 571-580
Author(s):  
Tshilidzi O. Ramakulukusha ◽  
Sunday S. Babalola ◽  
Ntsieni S. Mashau
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Youth Care ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Violent Behaviour ◽  
Child And Youth Care ◽  
Violent Youth ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Socio Economic Factors

Background: Violent behaviour in youth is regarded as a significant public health problem associated with severe physical and psychological consequences. Despite the availability of rehabilitation programmes rendered at child and youth care centres (CYCC's) in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, there is an escalation and repetition of violent behaviours among the youth due to some underlying socio-economic factors. Objective: The study sought to explore and describe the factors contributing to violent behaviours among the youth. Methods: A qualitative, explorative, and descriptive research design was used. A non-probability, purposive sampling method was used to select participants in this study. The study population consisted of youth, from the age of 15-20 years old, who were admitted to the child and youth care centres due to violent behaviours. Focus group discussions and in-depth individual interviews were used to collect data from participants. A semi-structured interview guide and focus group discussion guide were used to collect data until data saturation which occurred after interviewing 48 participants. Data were analysed following Tesch’s open code data analysis technique. Measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical principles were adhered to. Results: Two themes emerged from the analysed data, namely, the socio-economic factors contributing to violent behaviours among the youth in CYCCs and the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes for violent youth behaviours in CYCCs. Eight sub-themes were derived from the two main themes. The home environment, the influence of delinquent peers, availability, and misuse of drugs and alcohol were most cited as the factors contributing to violent behaviours among the youth in CYCCs in the Limpopo Province. The study's findings revealed that youth had little knowledge of the impact that violent behaviour has on the victim, themselves, their families, and society. Conclusion: Rehabilitation programmes for violent behaviours among the youth will have better outcomes by involving the youth's family, especially the parents/guardians. Also, the child and youth care centres and youth violence policymakers need to emphasise family education as one of the most crucial violence prevention strategies in vulnerable youth.

scholarly journals Socio-economic determinants of alcohol consumption for South Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 59-68
Author(s):  
Naiefa Rashied
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
National Income ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Binge Drinkers ◽  
Socio Economic Factors

Aims: To examine the socio-economic factors associated with alcohol consumption in South Africa. Design: Cross-sectional study exploring the various socio-economic factors associated with alcohol consumption in South Africa. Setting: South Africans older than 15 years across the country’s nine provinces. Participants: Adult respondents of the alcohol intensity and frequency questions in Wave 4 of the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) (n=28 401). Measures: Alcohol, demographic, emotional, health and neighbourhood variables. Findings: White and Mixed Heritage (referred to as ‘Coloured’ in South Africa) adults were more likely to consume alcohol, while Indian and White adults were less likely to binge drink relative to African adults. Males at greater risk of depression, and those who resided in neighbourhoods where frequent alcohol and drug abuse was common, were more likely to binge drink. Females who exercised more than three times a week were also more likely to drink and binge drink. Adults who smoked were more likely to drink and binge drink relative to non-smoking adults. Accounting for binge drinkers’ household size, average monthly household spending for binge drinkers was low, which suggests that binge drinkers under-reported household alcohol spending. There was evidence of drinking and binge drinking among pregnant women. Conclusions: Binge drinking trends related to race, gender, neighbourhood, pregnancy and household alcohol spending warrant further investigation and consideration for possible future alcohol interventions in South Africa.

scholarly journals Contribution of Natural Forest Products to Rural Livelihoods at Mavunde and Sambandou Villages, Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4252
Author(s):  
Mwazvita T. B. Dalu ◽  
Ashley W. Gunter ◽  
Mulweli Makatu ◽  
Gregory M. Dowo ◽  
Farai Dondofema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Socio Economic Factors

With ~70% of the sub-Saharan population living in rural areas, more than 90% of rural African households depend on natural forest products. Although several studies in other parts of South Africa have looked into the use of natural forest products in poverty alleviation, little is known on the roles and relative contribution of natural forest products as daily and safety nets specifically within the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa. This study assessed the different roles played by natural forest products in households and the patterns of their relative contribution to households both as sources of income and direct consumption within differing household compositions as well as socio-economic factors. These included employment and income diversification role and the monetised value of natural resources in the rural livelihoods of households in Sambandou and Mavunde, Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study inter alia compared a wide use of natural resources by two villages and determined on which forest products they most relied for their economic welfare. Their relative contributions to livelihoods were assessed by identifying factors that affected their contributions. Findings of the study showed that Sambandou had a high number of people with formal jobs and females, and fewer old-age pensioners. Differences in employment and education between villages were observed. In all villages, the most frequently used or harvested resource was fuelwood, wild edible fruits, herbs, grass/shrub hand sweepers, insects for food, thatch grass/reeds and poles for fencing and housing. Overall, Mavunde village households were found to be more dependent on natural resource harvesting both for income and subsistence substitution. Findings suggest that this may have been a consequence of socio-economic factors such as income and employment, as well as general underdevelopment in the village. This study’s findings could contribute to further studies into how these results compare to other parts of the country and region, as well as their respective developmental implications.

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