Years In South Africa Research Articles

Academic literacies and the question of knowledge

This conceptual paper attempts to map the terrains of academic literacies work as it has evolved over the past twenty or so years in South Africa. In mapping these terrains, one of the areas the paper considers is how the dominant 'skills' Discourse continues to frame the way in which academic literacies work is implemented in South Africa. Drawing on the New Literacies Studies the paper also explores how academic literacies as a body of work defines itself, as well as the range of conceptualisations that inform such definitions. The paper then turns to a consideration of how different contextual agendas drive academic literacies work in different ways across the higher education sector in South Africa. The paper then goes on to explore the different frameworks that academic literacies work in South Africa draws on to theorise this field, as well as some of the premises underlying our thinking and informing our practices, such as: generic and disciplinary-specific approaches to academic literacies development; the role of collaborative partnerships between academic literacies and disciplinary specialists; and how to shift from tacit knowledge of the norms and conventions of disciplines to explicit teaching of these norms and conventions. Drawing on academic literacies research emanating from the United Kingdom, the paper then argues for a shift from normative to transformative approaches to the development of academic literacies in South African higher education. Finally the paper turns to the question of knowledge and its place in debates about how to develop academic literacies. My conclusions point to the need for a shared ontology within which to frame academic literacies work and research in South Africa. I am suggesting that by placing knowledge at the centre of how we understand our work, we might move closer to such a shared ontology.

Determinants of HIV testing among young people aged 18 - 24 years in South Africa.

Although recent estimates of the HIV/AIDS burden in South Africa show the particular vulnerability of youth to HIV, HIV testing and its determinants are largely understudied in this age group. To investigate the prevalence and determinants of HIV testing among young people aged 18 to 24 years, as part of an evaluation of the impact of loveLife. South Africa's national HIV prevention campaign for young people, on HIV and related risk behaviours. A cross-sectional population-based household survey was conducted using a multistage stratified cluster sampling approach. The total sample included 3123 participants, aged 18-24, 54.6% men and 45.4% women, from four provinces (Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga). The results indicated that over half (52.2%) of the youth reported testing for HIV, with more young females (60.1%) testing for HIV compared to their male counterparts (39.9%). In the multivariate analysis, older age, being female, HIV knowledge, having ever talked to the mother or female guardian about HIV and having ever been pregnant or made someone pregnant were found to be associated with testing for HIV. There is still room for improving the low proportion of young people who test for HIV. Specific attention needs to be paid to younger males, with lack of HIV knowledge, having never talked to the mother or female guardian about HIV and having never been pregnant or made someone pregnant were less likely to be tested. Outreach at individual and community levels and public health messages targeting these youth should be implemented.

Correlates of inconsistent condom use among youth aged 18–24 years in South Africa

This paper examines the correlates of inconsistent condom use with most recent sexual partner among sexually experienced youth (N = 2 138) in South Africa. A cross-sectional population based survey with youth aged 18 to 24 years was conducted in 4 provinces (Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga). More women than men (57.7% vs. 25.8%) reported inconsistent condom use with their most recent partner. Multivariate analysis indicated that for males, not having talked with a partner about condoms in the past 12 months, having 2 or more sexual partners in the past 12 months, having ever had a transactional sex partner and alcohol use before sex in the past 3 months were associated with inconsistent condom use with their most recent sexual partner. In females multivariate analysis showed that lack of self-efficacy, not having talked with a partner about condoms in the past 12 months, having ever had or been subjected to forced sex and hazardous or harmful alcohol use were found to be associated with inconsistent condom use with their most recent sexual partner in multivariate analysis.

Medicines shortages–unpicking the evidence from a year in South Africa

Medicines shortages–unpicking the evidence from a year in South Africa

The first scholarly South African interpretation of Wagner? Ramsden Balmforth's Fabian analysis of the Ring and Parsifal

2013 marks both the bicentenary of Richard Wagner's birth and the centenary of performances of his Ring cycle in Cape Town, which contemporary critics hailed as a noteworthy advance in the cultural life of the Mother City. In that year the first South African to write a book about Wagner, the transplanted Yorkshireman Ramsden Balmforth, crafted his Drama, Music-drama, and Religion. It is argued in the present article that his interpretation relied to an appreciable degree on George Bernard Shaw's 1898 The Perfect Wagnerite, but also incorporated Balmforth's own Fabian socialist and post-orthodox Christian notions which he perceived in both the Ring cycle and Parsifal. Balmforth's interpretation further reflected the influence of his many years in South Africa, where he served as a Unitarian minister and engaged indefatigably in social reform efforts, which generally meshed with the ideological precepts he had brought from England. To a significantly greater extent than Shaw he delved into individual traits of Wagnerian characters rather than perceiving them almost exclusively as manifestations of social classes.

Nevirapine-based antiretroviral therapy does not reduce oral contraceptive effectiveness

To evaluate the effect of nevirapine-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART) on combined oral contraceptive (COC) effectiveness. Nonrandomized prospective clinical trial. We enrolled HIV-infected women aged 18-35 years in South Africa and Uganda who had regular menses, were sexually active, and had no medical contraindications to COC use. We enrolled 196 women taking nevirapine-containing ART and 206 women not yet eligible for ART as a control group. We treated all participants with low-dose COCs. Our main outcomes were ovulation and pregnancy rates. We estimated ovulation in the first two cycles using weekly serum progesterone and tested for pregnancy monthly for 24 weeks. The median age of participants was 29 and their median CD4 cell count was 486. In the ART group, 43 of 168 (26%) ovulated in cycle 1, 30 of 163 (18%) in cycle 2, and 18 of 163 (11%) in both cycles. In the non-ART group, 26 of 168 (16%) ovulated in cycle 1, 31 of 165 (19%) in cycle 2, and 20 of 165 (12%) in both cycles. We found no significant difference in ovulation rates between groups: unadjusted odds ratio 1.36 (95% confidence interval 0.85-2.18). Pregnancy rates also did not differ: 10.0 per 100-women-years in the ART group and 10.1 per 100-women-years in the non-ART group. Self-reported COC adherence, condom use, vaginal bleeding, and adverse events were similar. Five serious adverse events were reported, all in the non-ART group. ART use did not affect risk of ovulation or pregnancy in women taking COCs, suggesting that nevirapine-containing ART does not interfere with COC contraceptive effectiveness.

Prevalence of Knowledge and Use of the Female Condom in South Africa

Male condoms remain a key tool in preventing the spread of HIV and the female condom (FC) holds similar potential. Using data collected through a national cross-sectional population survey that was conducted in 2008, this report investigated the national prevalence of FC knowledge and use by sexually active males and females (n = 7,727) over the age of 15 years in South Africa, followed by a closer examination of the sexually active female population alone. Though knowledge of the FC among sexually active females over the age of 15 years (n = 4,551) was relatively high at 77.75 %, use was low at 7.16 %. The present study found statistically significant associations between knowledge or use of the FC and several demographic variables for females in South Africa. Having heard of the FC was consistently associated with locality, province, age, education level, marital status, and employment status. Use of the FC, however, was only associated with province and age group. Many demographic groups exhibited a high prevalence of knowledge but a low level of use; or conversely, a low prevalence of knowledge but a high level of use compared to their counterparts. Our findings support the need for a rigorous campaign to promote the use of FCs by women and also to increase their availability in public health sector facilities such as government clinics and hospitals in order to improve the chance of women using the FC, a cost-effective device that has the potential to protect both their rights and lives.

Hysterical nostalgia in the postcolony: from Coming Home to District 9

Much of the remembering of recent years in South Africa has involved nostalgia, but a nostalgia of excess and morbidity, or what might be called hysteria. The endangered body stands as a memorial to the distortions of apartheid, and there are many manifestations in the culture of the country. Here I analyse two performative works by expatriate South Africans who in contrasting but related ways express through them a hysterical-nostalgic relation to their country's past: Coming Home, a memory-play by Athol Fugard, and Neill Blomkamp's dystopian film District 9, both of which touch on the country's HIV/AIDS crisis. Resisting inadmissible yearnings for the apartheid past leads to revealing versions of nostalgia, in terms of broader cultural aesthetics, and the politics of the present – a time of continuing turbulence and uncertainty.

Professional Confidence: Conceptions Held by Novice Occupational Therapists in South Africa

This study aimed to explore how novice occupational therapists conceptualized professional confidence. Professional confidence is a dynamic personal belief that matures over time. It is closely linked to both competence and professional identity ensuring fitness for practice. Although professional confidence has been defined and a number of its attributes have been identified, how practitioners understand or conceptualize the phenomenon is not clearly understood. Eight novice occupational therapists undertaking their community service year in South Africa during 2011 participated in the study. Data, collected during semi-structured interviews, were analyzed using phenomenographic methodology. From the participant's descriptions, three qualitatively different ways of understanding professional confidence emerged from the data, namely knowing as an occupational therapist, believing you are an occupational therapist and being an occupational therapist. The outcome space was also described. The study did not purport to gauge whether the novice therapists were in fact confident. As professional confidence is a maturing self-belief, the findings are limited to novice occupational therapists. The findings contribute to a growing understanding of professional confidence in occupational therapy. Further research is needed in terms of what informs the conceptions held by novice therapists and how professional confidence can be assessed in graduates on completion of their educational programme.

Health, wellbeing, and disability among older people infected or affected by HIV in Uganda and South Africa

Objective: To describe and compare the health status, emotional wellbeing, and functional status of older people in Uganda and South Africa who are HIV infected or affected by HIV in their families.Methods: Data came from the general population cohort and Entebbe cohort of the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute, and from the Africa Centre Demographic Information System through cross-sectional surveys in 2009/10 using instruments adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO) Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE). Analysis was based on 932 people aged 50 years or older (510 Uganda, 422 South Africa).Results: Participants in South Africa were slightly younger (median age − 60 years in South Africa, 63 in Uganda), and more were currently married, had no formal education, were not working, and were residing in a rural area. Adjusting for socio-demographic factors, older people in South Africa were significantly less likely to have good functional ability [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.72, 95% CI 0.53–0.98] than those in Uganda, but were more likely to be in good subjective wellbeing (aOR 2.15, 95% CI 1.60–2.90). South Africans were more likely to be obese (aOR 5.26, 95% CI 3.46–8.00) or to be diagnosed with hypertension (aOR 2.77, 95% CI 2.06–3.73).Discussion and conclusions: While older people's health problems are similar in the two countries, marked socio-demographic differences influence the extent to which older people are affected by poorer health. It is therefore imperative when designing policies to improve the health and wellbeing of older people in sub-Saharan Africa that the region is not treated as a homogenous entity.

Cognitive functioning and associated factors in older adults in South Africa

Objective. To investigate cognitive functioning and associated factors in a national probability sample of older South Africans who participated in the Study of Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE) in 2008. Methods. In 2008 we conducted a national population-based cross-sectional study with a sample of 3 840 adults aged ≥50 years in South Africa. We administered a questionnaire surveying socio-demographic characteristics, health variables, and anthropometric and blood pressure measurements. Multivariate regression analyses were used to assess the association of socio-demographic factors and health variables with cognitive functioning. Results. Mean variables in the sample were: 5.9 recalled words, a verbal fluency of 9.9 words in a specified category (animals), a forward and backward digit span of 5.2 and 3.2, respectively, and an overall mean cognition score of 48.5. Higher overall cognitive functioning (a combination of memory and executive functioning) was positively associated with: younger age; white, Indian/Asian or coloured ethnicity; being married; a higher level of education; greater wealth; a higher level of physical activity; a greater quality of life; and a better subjective health status. Conclusions. Our findings can be used to refine future projections of cognitive function and healthcare needs in ageing middle-income societies such as those in South Africa.

Cognitive functioning and associated factors in older adults in South Africa

<p><strong>Objective.</strong> To investigate cognitive functioning and associated factors in a national probability sample of older South Africans who participated in the Study of Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE) in 2008.</p><p><strong>Methods.</strong> In 2008 we conducted a national population-based cross-sectional study with a sample of 3 840 adults aged ≥50 years in South Africa. We administered a questionnaire surveying socio-demographic characteristics, health variables, and anthropometric and blood pressure measurements. Multivariate regression analyses were used to assess the association of socio-demographic factors and health variables with cognitive functioning.</p><p><strong> Results.</strong> Mean variables in the sample were: 5.9 recalled words, a verbal fluency of 9.9 words in a specified category (animals), a forward and backward digit span of 5.2 and 3.2, respectively, and an overall mean cognition score of 48.5. Higher overall cognitive functioning (a combination of memory and executive functioning) was positively associated with: younger age; white, Indian/Asian or coloured ethnicity; being married; a higher level of education; greater wealth; a higher level of physical activity; a greater quality of life; and a better subjective health status.</p><p><strong>Conclusions.</strong> Our findings can be used to refine future projections of cognitive function and healthcare needs in ageing middle-income societies such as those in South Africa.</p>

A model to predict educators’ attitudes towards technology and thus technology adoption

“Technology”, the buzz word for the last ten to fifteen years in South Africa. Technology availability is quite often mistaken for technology adoption and use. Technology has been made available to almost all tertiary institutions and at least some public schools. However, in most tertiary institutions many professors still refuse to use technology to enhance their lectures and many educators in schools have not yet “come on board” in a manner of speaking. The South African government has indicated its intention to ensure that every school has access to a wide choice of diverse, high quality communication services that will benefit all learners and local communities (DOE 2004). It is important that the Department of Basic Education recognizes that regardless of the amount of technology and its sophistication, technology will not be used unless educators have the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to infuse it into the curriculum. The aim of this paper is to determine educators’ attitudes towards technology and thus technology adoption in teaching and learning. In doing so, this study attempted to determine what educators’ attitudes/perceptions (used synonymously) are towards constructs (e.g. relative advantage, perceived behavioural control, complexity) extracted from the different information systems (IS) technology adoption models. Thereafter, regression analysis was used to determine the best predictor of educators’ attitudes and thus technology adoption. The findings of this study suggest that overall the educators perceptions are somewhat positive across most IS constructs with the notable exception of Perceived Behavioural Control and Facilitating Conditions where the mean are below 3.5. The analysis suggests that the independent variables explaining the greatest amount of variance in computer attitudes are in order of predicative value: extrinsic motivation, perceived usefulness, complexity, perceived behavioural control and relative advantage. The results point to the importance of educators’ vision of technology itself, their experiences with it, their perceptions towards computer attributes and the conditions that surround its introduction into schools in shaping their attitudes towards technology and its subsequent diffusion into their educational practice.

The use of dual or two methods for pregnancy and HIV prevention amongst 18–24-year-olds in a cross-sectional study conducted in South Africa

IntroductionThe use of dual (for pregnancy and disease prevention) or two methods of contraceptives is recommended for the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and protection against sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV. The study aims to assess the prevalence and explore factors associated with the use of dual or two methods among young people aged 18 to 24 years in South Africa. MethodsFactors associated with use of dual or two methods among young people aged 18 to 24 years in South Africa were investigated by individual interviews. The final sample included 1127 males and 1007 females from four provinces (Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga) who reported to have ever had sex. ResultsThe study found among men (18–24 years) 10.4% and among women (18–24 years) 15.4%, current use of dual or two methods was reported. In multivariate analyses, among women, lower poverty, not being unemployed, having concurrent sexual partners and higher sexual intercourse frequency in the past month were associated with use of dual or two methods, while for men, contraceptive methods knowledge, greater relationship control and higher sexual intercourse frequency in the past month were associated with use of dual or two methods. ConclusionThe use of dual or two methods remains low. Innovative ways are needed for the promotion and increased use of dual or two methods.

Formal Employment and Health-Related Quality of Life among People Living with HIV in South Africa

This study examined the link between formal employment and characteristics of the workplace (especially awareness of workplace HIV policies and HIV status disclosure to work colleagues) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people living with HIV (PLHIV). The study analysed medical treatment and employment history since first being diagnosed as HIV-positive among 554 adults, 55 % females, who had been on HIV treatment for at least 2 years in South Africa. Additional cross-sectional data on HRQoL were collected using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) (QualityMetric Incorporated). Two hundred and forty four (44 %) of the study participants (39 % and 49 % among males and females, respectively) were formally employed at the study interview. Formally employed study participants reported higher HRQoL than those not formally employed, as reflected in mean scores in the physical and mental component summaries of the SF-36 instrument. HRQoL was unrelated to study participants’ CD4 count, viral load and duration since HIV diagnosis. Among the formally employed study participants, 27.9 % reported awareness of workplace HIV policies in their organisations, while 50.8 % said they had disclosed their HIV status to work colleagues. The awareness of workplace HIV policies was associated with higher mental component summary scores after controlling for study participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, but had no significant association with the physical component summary scores. The disclosure of HIV status to work colleagues was associated with neither mental nor physical component summary scores. The finding of a positive association between formal employment and HRQoL among PLHIV suggest the need for facilitative interventions for employment entry and continuation among PLHIV for their wellbeing.

Catchment management agencies as crucibles in which to develop responsible leaders in South Africa

During the past 17 years in South Africa, far-reaching policy, legislation and institutional changes in water-related governance have occurred. Responsible leaders have ensured that a paradigm of integrated water resource management (IWRM) is firmly entrenched in the above policy, legislation and institutional arrangements. IWRM in turn demands a level of interaction between individuals, disciplines and organisations such that multi-sector, multi-level stakeholders can collectively, timeously, wisely and cost-effectively visit the consequences of their proposed, present and past actions. Such social learning processes demand leadership and the ongoing development of leaders at all levels. This paper is structured around the propositions for leadership development in the field outlined by Scharmer (2009a). The principal aim of the paper is to reveal the extent to which the multi-sector catchment management agency (CMA) phenomenon is an ideal crucible for leadership development in the field. It is argued that the complex adaptive system that embodies the water realm needs to be engaged by developing complex adaptive systems of governance and that the CMAs have the potential to meet this requirement. Furthermore, it is argued that processes to achieve this required leadership are also ideal for developing leadership. At a time when worldwide developments in communication and computer technology have spawned an exponential growth in successful endeavours related to self-organising around common challenges, the CMA provides a unique and nourishing context for self-organising that simultaneously connects to South Africa’s water governance mainstream of policies, laws, institutions and administrative procedures.

Noise levels of toys for children between the ages of birth and 3 years in South Africa

Objectives . To describe the noise levels of popular hand-held, tabletop, crib and close-to-the-ear toys for children between the ages of birth and 3 years in South Africa. Design . A quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive research design was employed for this study. Subjects . Twenty toys, 5 from each of 4 categories, were chosen from a popular toy store in South Africa. The noise levels of these toys were measured using a sound level meter in a quiet room. The frequency spectra of the noise were analysed and compared with current international standards relating to toy safety. Results . The majority of toys adhere to the current American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International standards for toy noise. Frequency spectra analysis revealed that the loudest continuous noise levels for all toys were recorded at the frequencies that are the most important for hearing speech. Conclusions . There is a need to develop standards for the maximum sound output of toys, and compulsory introduction of warnings about the noise levels of toys on the packaging and adherence to ASTM International standards for toy manufacturers are recommended.

Health-seeking behaviour of people with sexually transmitted infections in the community of Nkomazi East, Mpumalanga

The control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is a priority for the World Health Organization. It is estimated that there are 11 million cases of STIs per year in South Africa. Health-seeking and sexual behaviours are important in the management of STIs. The aim was to assess the health-seeking behaviour of people who had STIs in the community of Nkomazi East, Mpumalanga. The study design was a descriptive cross-sectional survey. Participants included patients who presented with confirmed signs or symptoms of an STI, were 16 years or older, voluntarily agreed to participate in the study and were residents of the community. A total of 332 questionnaires were collected. The majority of the participants were single, literate, unemployed black patients aged from 16-23 years (43.7%). Participants were very knowledgeable about STIs. Urethral discharge, painful micturition, vaginal discharge and lower abdominal pain were the most commonly recognised STI symptoms. All the participants (100%) sought help when they thought that they had an STI. Their preferred source of help was the public healthcare sector. Traditional healers were also consulted frequently. While compliance to treatment was satisfactory, ongoing unsafe sexual practices were common among participants who had active STIs. The respondents had a good knowledge of STI symptoms and signs and sought help early, usually from public healthcare facilities. STI health-seeking behaviour was influenced by multiple factors. This study suggests that STI control programmes should be designed around public healthcare facilities. However, adequate knowledge of STIs did not deter many respondents from engaging in unprotected sexual activity, sometimes with multiple partners.

Challenges for efficient health service delivery: experiences of dietitians completing their compulsory community service year in South Africa

To evaluate the successes and shortcomings of the community service programme implemented by the Department of Health (DOH) in South Africa by evaluating community service dietitians' experiences and challenges during the 2009 community service year. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research designs. A national survey was conducted using a questionnaire to illicit information on community service dietitians' working environments and the challenges they experienced. Furthermore individual interviews were conducted with a purposively selected subsample of community service dietitians to further explore issues that arose in the survey. Data were collected from community service dietitians in the public health sector in South Africa. Dietitians completing their community service year in 2009. Of the 168 community service dietitians placed in 2009, 134 (80 %) participated in the survey, while five community service dietitians in each province (n 45) were interviewed. Overall the community service dietitians were positive about the community service year and reported that it improved their confidence, skills and competencies. However, they experienced challenges related to the orientation programme, supervision/mentoring, resources available, patient referrals and communication. Despite the overall success of the community service year there are still challenges which the DOH needs to address in order to provide the best nutrition service possible for its patients.

The prevalence of intentional and unintentional injuries in selected Johannesburg housing settlements.

Intentional and unintentional injuries were reported to be the second leading cause of Disability Adjusted Life Years in South Africa in 2000. We present household experiences of such injuries in 5 impoverished housing settlements in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province. Data for this study were extracted from the database of the Health, Environment and Development (HEAD) project. The incidence of reported intentional injuries was determined to be double that of unintentional injuries. Households in the Hospital Hill and Riverlea settlements reported the highest prevalence of stabbing and gunshot incidents. We concluded that impoverished South African neighbourhoods bear a high burden of intentional injury; surveillance mechanisms are required to inform prevention strategies at an individual, community and societal level.