Period In South Africa Research Articles

Trends in body mass index in the pre-dolutegravir period in South Africa.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with weight gain, but this has been shown to be more marked with dolutegravir and other integrase strand transfer inhibitors. We studied weight gain in people living with HIV (PLWH) on ART compared to the general population in the period before dolutegravir was introduced in a rural South African cohort. Longitudinal analysis of the Ndlovu Cohort Study including 36-48 months' follow-up data. From 2014 to 2019, data were collected annually in Limpopo, rural South Africa. Linear mixed models using HIV status, demographics, ART use and cardiovascular risk factors were used to estimate trends in body mass index (BMI) over time. In total, 1518 adult, non-pregnant participants were included, of whom 518 were PLWH on ART (79.8%), 135 PLWH not yet on ART (20.2%) and 865 HIV-negative. HIV-negative participants had significantly higher BMIs than PLWH on ART at all study visits. There was a significant increase in BMI in all subgroups after 36 months (PLWH on ART, BMI +1.2 kg/m2, P < 0.001; PLWH not on ART, BMI +1.8 kg/m2, P < 0.001 and HIV-negative, BMI +1.3 kg/m2, P < 0.001). The increase in BMI in PLWH and HIV-negative participants is a serious warning signal as obesity results in morbidity and mortality.

Embodying Learners’ Semasiological Disparateness in an English First Additional Language Classroom

Language-in-education policy in the apartheid era in South Africa reflected a divide-and-rule strategy, which stipulated that each ethnic group was to be taught in its language. Thus, the post-1994 period in South Africa involved a dramatic re-imagination of the country from a racially divided nation to a diverse but united, non-racial nation. This is pertinent to South Africa, a linguistically diverse country whose history of language in education has been shaped by political interests, as well as pedagogical considerations. Against this background, since the impact of cultural diversity on education policy and reforms is a strategically significant issue for us all, this study sought to explore how Grade 4 English First Additional Language (EFAL) teachers incorporate Grade 4 EFAL learners’ linguistic diversity in teaching and learning. For this qualitative study, 10 Grade 4 teachers in 5 primary schools in one district in South Africa were used as respondents. The researcher used one-on-one telephonic interviews to collect data. The results revealed that teachers acknowledge the need to use some approaches to support oral language development. Besides, teachers use a range of strategies, from translanguaging, and code-switching to translation, to encourage learners to use their home languages to develop proficiency in the EFAL. Also, the study has shown that cooperative language learning, which shares some characteristics with communicative language teaching helps learners develop a great liking of EFAL.

Assessing the acceptability of, adherence to and preference for a dual prevention pill (DPP) for HIV and pregnancy prevention compared to oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and oral contraception taken separately: protocols for two randomised, controlled, cross-over studies in South Africa and Zimbabwe

IntroductionOral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective HIV prevention method; however, uptake and persistence have been low among southern African women. A dual prevention pill (DPP) that combines PrEP...

The Concurrent and Longitudinal Relationship between Perinatal Sleep Difficulties and Depression in a Large Sample of High-Risk Women in South Africa.

Perinatal depression and sleep difficulties are common among studies conducted in high income countries (HIC). This study examines the relationship between sleep difficulties and depression during the perinatal period and over an eight-year follow-up period in South Africa, a middle income country. A population cohort of 1238 pregnant women (mean age = 26.33) in 24 township neighborhoods in South Africa were recruited and reassessed six times over the next 8years post birth with follow-up rates of 96-83%. The relationship between maternal depressed mood and sleep difficulties was examined over time, as well as the relationship of sleep with other socioeconomic, environmental, and psychiatric risk factors. Thirty-five percent of the women reported sleep difficulties during the perinatal period; whereas only 8% reported sleep difficulties at 8-year follow-up. Perinatal sleep difficulties were associated with lower income, lower educational attainment, less access to electricity, more food insecurity, higher rates of interpersonal violence and HIV, alcohol consumption, and depressed mood at 8years. However, the severity of depressed mood was the strongest predictor of sleep problems longitudinally and cross-sectionally, after accounting for all other risk factors. We found that the severity of depressed mood is highly associated with sleep difficulties from pregnancy to 8years post-birth and in a linear relationship, so that higher depressed mood is associated with more sleep problems. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: # NCT00996528.

Exploring the Historical Consciousness in Selected Fiction of Nadine Gordimer

The novels of Nadine Gordimer run parallel with the era of apartheid. They are a record of the realities of the period during the apartheid and also the interregnum period in South Africa in a chronological manner. In South Africa, Gordimer belonged to a minority within the minority. But contained within that small white world is another group of whites who are opposed to the system of racial discrimination known as apartheid and stand with the country's majority. Nadine Gordimer examines the nature of apartheid which according to her, changes depending on who was looking at the issue. Different people react differently to what apartheid meant to them. As a writer she took her commitment to the community at large quite seriously and this is amply reflected in her work and the interviews that were recorded. Gordimer vociferously denounced the discrimination and violence that followed in her fiction as in real life. The research paper shall focus on the idea of the construction of identity in the selected novels whose plots are a reflection of events and situations that were taking place in South Africa as well as the historical consciousness of Gordimer.

Re-imagining the complexities faced by rural entrepreneurs in South Africa: Implications for local economic development in the post COVID-19 pandemic period

Rural entrepreneurs play a critical role in generating economic activities and general development of rural economy. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has left extensive upheaval in rural entrepreneurship which cannot be emphasised. As a result, there is growing interest in the potential of rural entrepreneurs to recover from and adapt to the challenges stemming from COVID-19 pandemic. The significant challenges caused by pandemic pose threat to success of rural entrepreneurship initiatives. While there are various desktop studies that uncover challenges encountered by rural entrepreneurs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, surprisingly there is lull of comprehensive desktop study in respect of the complexities faced by rural entrepreneurs during and in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic. As such, this offers a rich ground for this study to explore challenges faced by rural entrepreneurs in the post COVID-19 period in South Africa. The study utilised literature research approach in which the researcher gathers data from journal articles, conference papers, reports and manages all the relevant research material. The results indicated various constraints faced by rural entrepreneurs during and post COVID-19 pandemic era. Information about the challenges caused by COVID-19 pandemic is useful for sound management, development of adaptation strategies for rural entrepreneurship and policy making by the government, thereby reducing costs and failure rates of the current and would-be rural entrepreneurs.

Effect of Short, Animated Video Storytelling on Maternal Knowledge and Satisfaction in the Perinatal Period in South Africa: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Innovative mobile health (mHealth) interventions can improve maternal knowledge, thereby supporting national efforts to reduce preventable maternal and child mortality in South Africa. Studies have documented a potential role for mobile video content to support perinatal health messaging, enhance maternal satisfaction, and overcome literacy barriers. Short, animated storytelling (SAS) is an innovative, emerging approach to mHealth messaging. We aimed to measure the effect of SAS videos on maternal knowledge and user satisfaction for mothers enrolled in antenatal care programs at 2 public health facilities in the Tshwane District of South Africa. We used a randomized controlled trial with a nested evaluation of user satisfaction. Participants were randomized 1:1 into Standard-of-Care (SOC) Control, and SAS Intervention groups. The intervention videos were delivered through WhatsApp, and 1 month later, participants responded to telephone surveys assessing their knowledge. The intervention group then participated in a nested evaluation of user satisfaction. We surveyed 204 participants. Of them, 49.5% (101/204) were aged between 25 and 34 years. Almost all participants self-identified as Black, with the majority (190/204, 93.2%) having completed secondary school. The mean overall knowledge score was 21.92/28. We observed a slight increase of 0.28 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] -0.58 to 1.16) in the overall knowledge score in the intervention arm. We found that those with secondary education or above scored higher than those with only primary education by 2.24 (95% UI 0.76-4.01). Participants aged 35 years or older also scored higher than the youngest age group (18-24 years) by 1.83 (95% CI 0.39-3.33). Finally, the nested user satisfaction evaluation revealed high maternal satisfaction (4.71/5) with the SAS video series. While the SAS videos resulted in high user satisfaction, measured knowledge gains were small within a participant population that was already receiving perinatal health messages through antenatal clinics. The higher knowledge scores observed in older participants with higher education levels suggest that boosting maternal knowledge in younger mothers with lower education levels should continue to be a public health priority in South Africa. Given the high maternal satisfaction among the SAS video-users in this study, policy makers should consider integrating similar approaches into existing, broad-reaching perinatal health programs, such as MomConnect, to boost satisfaction and potentially enhance maternal engagement. While previous studies have shown the promise of animated video health education, most of this research has been conducted in high-income countries. More research in underresourced settings is urgently needed, especially as access to mobile technology increases in the Global South. Future studies should explore the effect of SAS videos on maternal knowledge in hard-to-reach populations with limited access to antenatal care, although real-world logistical challenges persist when implementing studies in underresourced South African populations. Pan African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR202203673222680; https://tinyurl.com/362cpuny.

‘Lockdown Work’

This article explores domestic workers’ experiences of ‘lockdown work’, which refers to working conditions during the level 5 to level 3 lockdown period in South Africa during the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing on in-depth interviews with female black African South African and African migrant domestic workers from Zimbabwe and Malawi, the article provides crucial insights into how the pandemic altered existing working conditions and employment relationships. We use the sociological concept ‘boundary work’ to illustrate the relational dynamic and consequence of social and physical distancing during the pandemic. We argue that social and physical distancing deepened the public-private divide in employers’ private households and domestic workers’ intimate workplaces. The findings show that domestic workers experienced limited or no control over decisions regarding Covid-19-related protocols in their workplace, intensified workloads without additional remuneration, and felt voiceless regarding working conditions because they feared losing their jobs. The experience of lockdown work highlighted domestic workers’ vulnerability because of the asymmetrical and intimate nature of domestic work under new management imperatives that positioned most domestic workers as a high-risk group or perceived carriers of Covid-19. We conclude that the experience of personalism/maternalism and distant hierarchy as forms of boundary work undermined domestic workers’ sense of dignity and employment rights.

Management and Outcomes of Esophageal Atresia With or Without Tracheo-Esophageal Fistula Over 15 Years in South Africa

IntroductionTo determine the incidence, management and outcomes of esophageal atresia/tracheo-esophageal fistula (EA/TEF) over a 15-y period in South Africa. MethodsA retrospective chart review of neonates with EA/TEF presenting at the main tertiary referral hospital in the KwaZulu-Natal province between 2002 and 2017 was conducted. Data collection comprised patient and maternal demographics, clinical presentations, laboratory and radiologic investigations, surgical procedures, and outcomes. A multivariate logistic regression determined the risk factors associated with mortality. ResultsAmong 180 neonates, mean (SD) age of diagnosis was four (three) days postnatal with Gross Type C (n = 165, 92%) being the most common and the incidence was one per 10,000 live births. Majority were born term (n = 95, 53%) at peripheral hospitals (n = 167, 93%) with a mean birth weight of 2369 (736) grams. Overall HIV exposure rate was 27% (n = 48). Most (n = 138, 77%) patients presented with established pneumonia, 44% (n = 61) of whom required prolonged (>7 d) ventilator support. The median (IQR) hospital stay was 11 (8-20) d. Overall survival rate was 70% (n = 126). Birth weight <1500 g, life threatening anomalies, ventilation >30 d and postoperative sepsis contributed to mortality. ConclusionsIncidence, disease types and presentations were similar to developed countries. Despite advances in technology and neonatal care in Africa, EA/TEF surgical outcomes remain suboptimal likely due to caregivers’ inability to care for these infants in disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances with poor sanitation, etc. Research is needed to identify strategies tailored for disadvantaged communities which may contribute to improved outcomes in the perioperative and postoperative period.

Characterisation of ambient air quality over two urban sites on the South African Highveld

Air pollution is an environmental-health challenge that many developing and developed countries are struggling to deal with. The purpose of our study was to characterise the ambient air quality during the year 2019–2020 over two urban sites of DiepKloof and Vanderbijilpark which are located on the South African Highveld. The study characterised PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2 and O3. Findings were that PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 ambient concentrations predominantly peaked during the winter season in June, July and August with mean concentrations of 48.6 µg/m3, 29.2 µg/m3, 38.6 µg/m3 and 12.6 µg/m3, respectively for the DiepKloof site while for the Vanderbijilpark site, winter mean for PM10, PM2.5 and SO2 were recorded at 124 µg/m3, 50.7 µg/m3 and 22.1 µg/m3, respectively. The average daily pollutant concentrations of the majority of pollutants were elevated above the WHO air quality guideline limits. Analysis of variance showed the seasonal variations had a significant (all p-values less than 0.01) effect on the variability of pollutant concentrations in both sites. The study attributes these elevated ambient pollutant levels to industrial, domestic and vehicular emission sources that are scattered over the South African Highveld. The study also highlighted the impact of the first lockdown period in South Africa indicating that the first three-week lockdown had a significant (p-values less than 0.001) impact on the variability of pollutant concentrations in both Diep Kloof and Vanderbijlpark. The study also established that pollutant concentrations were more significantly affected by wind direction in the more industrialized Vanderbijlpark than in Diep Kloof. The study contributes towards air quality monitoring and management policy formulation both in South Africa and other African countries. Furthermore, the study contributes towards the academic body of knowledge. To curtail pollutant emissions governments have several options including tightening the air quality regulatory frameworks as well as establishing and supporting community-based air quality advocates. Air quality advocates can act as a conduit in raising general public awareness regarding the impact of air pollution on human health.

The love of pets in managing remote work challenges during Covid-19

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, a large number of employed individuals all over the world were obliged to work remotely during lockdown. This article focuses on the coping mechanisms which individuals used to manage this difficult situation, specifically the impact which loving and caring for pets had on the way in which people dealt with the challenges of the remote-working environment. Methodologically, this qualitative study used a phenomenological research design to understand the lived experience of the participants in the study. Ten qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with pet owners during the Covid-19 lockdown period in South Africa. The sample was recruited using purposeful and snowball sampling techniques. Data were analysed through content analysis while qualitative quality criteria were applied. Findings show pets supported their owners in many different ways during the pandemic and only the animal’s presence supported the owners at home physically, psychologically and emotionally. They helped to reduce the stress of their owners and create a homely atmosphere. Pets played a specific role in providing love, companionship, strong emotional and affective bonds and by creating experiences of comfort, positive as well as negative distraction from work, and physical presence. The experience of love was one major aspect of the relationships between pets and humans. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations are given with regard to future research, highlighting how organisations and consultants can use the positive influences of pets in remote-working scenarios.

Contextual Theology during the Apartheid Period in South Africa: The Case of the University of Venda

This article provides a brief report and reflection on the historical development of contextual theology at the University of Venda (Univen). Contextual theology offered academic institutions, even in Bantustans such as Venda, a theologically significant expression. It is noteworthy that the subject of “contextual theology” as a paradigm, in this regard, is dissimilar to traditional Western classical theology by substance and orientation. This study focuses on the historical development of contextual theology and the contribution made by Univen between its inception in the early 1980s and the end of apartheid in the early 1990s. There is a need to critically explore the unique experience and development of contextual theology during apartheid. The relevance of this study is predicated on the complexities of articulating contextual engagement in distinct settings and the issues that shape them. This further involves locating contextual voices, priorities, and how they contribute to theological discourse. It includes uncovering lessons available for current and future developments of contextual theology. The oral history methodology is adopted to buttress reflection and analysis in this qualitative research endeavour. Oral interviews are transcribed and interpreted to bring to light the historical development of contextual theology at a former Bantustan university.

Experiences of B. Ed Students on the use of E-Learning as a Vehicle to Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

E-learning has become a standard dialect nationally and internationally, particularly during the COVID-19 context. During the lockdown period in South Africa, e-learning, which was experienced differently by different Higher Education Institutions and students, became one of the preferred ways students could access learning. Therefore, e-learning as a vehicle for quality education became a human rights issue in the Higher Education space. Consequently, literature seems to imply that lack of access to e-learning, internet laptops and smartphone connectivity and online gadgets may be an exclusionary learning factor for the majority of students. Underpinned by Engestrom Activity Theory, this qualitative study used telephonic assisted open-ended interviews to provide the four selected Bachelor of Education students with the opportunity to share their experiences on how they have experienced the use of e-learning in a South African university. It emerged from the data that even the students from the same institution had varied experiences in terms of e-learning. Furthermore, the findings revealed that students’ social realm, such as internet connectivity and lack of online gadgets such as laptops and smartphones influenced their e-learning. This study concludes that the students’ experiences suggest that the university should respond to the students’ contextual factors and make appropriate sustainable teaching and learning plans post-COVID-19 era. Keywords: E-learning, Learning experiences, Diversity, Learning tools, Teaching and learning

John Maxwell Coetzee’s Disgrace: A Covert Narrative of the Transition in South Africa

In John Maxwell Coetzee’s Disgrace (1999), some aspects of style are an implicit image of the uncertainty, feeling of discontinuity, and the new trends of violence in the transition period in South Africa. This study of Disgrace conjugates Seymour Chatman’s analysis of covert narration, and Alain Rabatel’s explication of the point of view and narrative perspective, to demonstrate, through narratological and reader-response theories, that the third-person present-tense narrative gives an encoded image of the tense social context in the post-apartheid era. Specifically, this paper shows that the use of present tense, character-oriented perspective, and hybrid use of language are signs of the unbridled violence in the nascent democratic nation, of individuals battling against the demons of the past, to deal with an unstable present, with the hope to negotiate an evanescent future. Through the lenses of feminism, this article discusses the experience and symbolism of rape in the novel.

Experiences of Organisations of (or That Serve) Persons with Disabilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic and National Lockdown Period in South Africa.

Organisations have long played an effective role in advocating for and actioning crucial developmental and humanitarian functions around the world, often under challenging conditions, as well as servicing the health needs of persons with disabilities. This article reports on the experiences of organisations of (or that serve) persons with disabilities, hereafter called service providers, during the COVID-19 lockdown period in South Africa beginning 26 March 2020. Organisations participated in an online survey as well as virtual narrative interviews to voice out their experiences. Five major themes emerged: (1) difficulties in keeping the doors open; (2) continued care under lockdown; (3) restructuring of care (4) government systems and policies; and (5) reaching out to offer and receive support. The findings demonstrate that the South African government failed to ensure targeted support to organisations of persons with disabilities. A remarkable feature of the organisations we interviewed for this small study was their agility in responding creatively to the challenges they faced, despite the difficulties. There is a need for government support to include targeted efforts to support organisation of persons with disabilities during pandemics to avoid worsening service gaps.

Navigating through COVID-19 Pandemic Period in Implementing Quality Teaching and Learning for Higher Education Programmes: A Document Analysis Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, has caused a swift change in the higher education system giving way to a rise in instituting multimodal teaching and learning approaches. These approaches have demonstrated an inadequate capacity for multimodal teaching, particularly through online instruction by many institutions. The Department of Higher Education in South Africa did its utmost best to equip the institutions with the required resources to continue with the provision of education. Methods: A descriptive qualitative research design was followed in the study. The study data source included the South African government’s COVID-19 regulations relating to higher education and training. The purposive sampling method was used to select (8) several government documents relating to the regulation of COVID-19 in higher education and training institutions Document analysis technique was used to collect data from the COVID-19 pandemic regulation documents. Results: the study showed that most HEIs in South Africa adhere to safety measures, ensure business continuity in teaching and learning, continued with the distribution of National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowances as allocated by the government, and followed procedures for returning certain categories of students on campuses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: The study has evaluated the support for quality higher education teaching and learning during the pandemic period in South Africa. The study, therefore, recommends the continuing of online teaching as part of blended learning so that institutions could always be ready should situations like this occurs again in the future and above be in sync with digital transformation.

Biodiversity and Economy but Not Social Factors Predict Human Population Dynamics in South Africa

The ongoing exponential growth of human population poses a risk to sustainable development goals (SDGs). Unless we understand the drivers of this growth and inform policy development accordingly, SDGs would remain a dream. One of the old theories of population growth known as the Malthusian theory predicts that resource availability drives population growth until a certain time when population growth outrun resource availability, leading to all sort of crises summarized as Malthusian crisis. Although the link between economic growth and population has been widely investigated while testing the theory, little is known about environmental and social factors potentially driving population growth. Here, because of various crises of our time recalling the Malthusian crisis, we revisited the theory by fitting structural equation models to environmental, social and economic data collected over 30-year period in South Africa. None of the social variables tested predicts population growth. Instead, we found that biodiversity (species protection index) correlates positively with population growth. Biodiversity provides various resources through ecosystem goods and services to human, thus supporting population growth as predicted in the Malthusian theory. However, we also found that this population growth may lead to conservation conflict as we found that biodiversity habitat (wetland area) correlates negatively with population growth, thus raising the compromising effect of population growth on life on earth. What’s more, we found a significant link between economic growth measured as GDP and population growth, further supporting the Malthusian prediction. Overall, our study re-affirms the value of biodiversity to human and suggests that the Malthusian theory should continuously be tested with predictors other than economic.

The Dichotomy of a Changing Workplace: Analysing South Africa’s Newspapers during the Covid-19 Situation

This paper analyses the potential influence of the selected, South African online newspapers on the discourse of alternative workplace arrangements during the Covid-19 era. A content analysis of online newspapers’ coverage of the pertinent workplace requisites of performance during the Covid-19 pandemic enlightens the complex dichotomy of a traditional office workplace against work from home and a hybrid work model. The essence of anticipatory corporate leadership is that personnel behavior has to adapt to the changing work situation. This paper hypothesis that the framing of ideas by South African newspapers promotes perceptions and particular interpretations of the prevailing workplace environment during the two years of the Covid-19 period in South Africa. The research uses qualitative content analysis, which is the written texts, and quantitative methods of content analysis of newspapers by conducting a hypothesis test and independent group ANOVA test. That provides perspectives of choices and reasons for or against the distinct workplace situation. The results show that the newspaper reports focused more on the “Work from Home” practice. The newspapers’ perspective on the “Work from Home” culture may heighten the anticipatory strategies of corporate leaders in their pursuit to sustain high work performance. The circulation level of selected online newspapers in South Africa influences the research findings.

Optimizing knowledge and behavioral intention of women and their partners in the perinatal period in South Africa: a randomized control trial study protocol in the Tshwane district, Gauteng province, South Africa

BackgroundMaternal knowledge that motivates improvements in critical perinatal health behaviors has the potential to significantly reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. However, evidence-based health information often fails to reach mothers and their partners. mHealth video micro-messages, which disseminate evidence-based perinatal health messages, have the potential to address this gap.MethodsThe study will make use of a mixed method design, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The study consists of two phases. During Phase 1, qualitative in-depth interviews will be used as part of a human-centered design approach to co-create 10 videos on priority perinatal behaviors. During Phase 2, quantitative methods (a randomized control trial) will be used to test the effectiveness of the videos in improving maternal knowledge and intended behavioral change.DiscussionWe hypothesize that by engaging mothers and their partners through emotive, resonant narratives and visuals, we can facilitate the delivery of evidence-based health messages at the foundation of perinatal health, thereby motivating life-saving improvements in health behaviors during the perinatal period.Trial registrationThis trial has been prospectively registered on the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR), with the registration number PACTR202203673222680. Registration date: 14 March 2022. Trial registration WHO data setRegistry – Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR). Date: 14 March 2022. Secondary identification number - grant number: GCCSOAFMNH1. Source of support: Science for Africa Foundation. Primary sponsor – Clinton Health Access Initiative South Africa. Secondary sponsor - Stanford University School of Medicine and Heidelberg University. Contact for public & scientific queries: amandlamamasa@clintonhealthaccess.org; +27 123,426,911; 1166 Francis Baard St, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028. Public title – Amandla Mama. Scientific title - Optimizing knowledge and behavioral intention of women and their partners in the perinatal period in South Africa. Countries of recruitment – South Africa. Health conditions – antenatal care. Intervention – Amandla Mama mHealth videos, short 2D animated health promotional videos that promote healthy behavior in expectant mothers. Inclusion and exclusion criteria - Expectant mothers and their partners must be 18 years and older. Study type – randomized control trial. Date of first enrollment – 14 March 2021. Sample size – plan to enrol 450 participants, participants enrolled 29 participants. Recruitment Status – suspended. Primary outcome – improving knowledge. Secondary outcome – intended behavioral change. Ethics review – Approved on 24 January 2022 by Pharma-Ethics, contact Mrs. Marzelle Haskins, marzelle@pharma-ethics.co.za. Completion date – N/A. Summary results – N/A. IPD sharing statement – yes, through the publication of results in a journal article.

Locked in Abuse: Intimate Partner Violence against Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract The whole world has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that has held the health and livelihoods of people in its grip since 2020. In their initial response to the pandemic, governments throughout the world implemented social distancing restrictions, also referred to as lockdown, that required people to remain at home to prevent the spread of the virus. Intimate partner violence is a persistent challenge in South Africa and the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown measures have caused great concerns about their impact on women and domestic issues, especially those who reside with violent partners. This paper attempts to explore the impact of intimate partner violence on women during the COVID-19 lockdown period in South Africa. A qualitative method was used to collect data from previous studies, news reports, and two social media platforms. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, data from 2020 and 2021 data were collected from Facebook and Twitter. Keywords such as “gender-based violence”, “GBV during lockdown”, “intimate partner violence”, “abused women”, and hashtags with the words “stopkillingwomen”, “menaretrash”, “justiceforwomen”, and “GBV” were used to find information. To augment the findings of the study, data were also collected from reports by the government of South Africa that were issued since the beginning of lockdown in March 2020 as well as peer-reviewed scholarly articles. The findings showed that most victims of gender-based violence (GBV) lived with abusive partners during the lockdown. The Minister of Police supported the findings during a media briefing, mentioning that the number of gender-based violence complaints continued to remain high during lockdown. People on social media posted emotional messages about this topic and generally shared their anger that victims of GBV do not get justice as the perpetrators do not get sentenced. The study recommends that GBV in South Africa should be addressed more practically. Moreso, laws should be more rigorously enforced to bring perpetrators to book and to protect any potential female victims from any form of abuse, especially GBV.