Thesis (Ph.D. (Literature)) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / Refer to document / University of Limpopo

Thesis (MBA) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / Socio-economic development of the communities around the mines is enhanced through effective mining beneficiation. The aim of this study was to provide an analysis of the perceptions of the Amandelbult mine and the community of Schilpadnest informal settlement, in relation to the mining beneficiation provided to this community by the mine. The study analysed the perceptions related to employment creation, corporate social investment, as well as the communication and collaboration of the mine with the local community and other sectors. This study used the census as a sampling method. A questionnaire, with a combination of closed and open ended questions, was used to collect data. The members of community structures within the Schilpadnest as well as the mine management were the target population for the study. The results indicated that the beneficiation role of the mine in terms of the socio-economic development of the community is perceived to be inadequate in terms of employing local people and supporting the local SMMEs. Lack of required skills and communication are perceived to be the possible hindrances to beneficiation opportunities. The study recommends that: · The mine should consider setting a particular target for employing people. · A communication strategy for interacting with the local community be developed by the mine. · A comprehensive needs analysis for the local community be developed by the mine. · The mine should consider developing a database for the local SMMEs for the purposes of procurement and skills development.

The current study explored the relationship between parents perceptions of their childs middle school and parents perceptions of their own school experiences. Additionally, it was important to research how these relationships differed among variables. The variables explored were (1) race, (2) parents own educational backgrounds (level of education), and (3) socio-economic status. Based on scales commonly used in the study of parent involvement, a survey (i.e., Parent Perceptions of Schooling) was developed. The survey consisted of two parts (i.e., Part I, How I Feel About My Childs School and Part II: Parents Own School Experiences Questionnaire) and a demographic section (i.e., Part III: Demographic Information). The first two parts were divided into factors or subscales (i.e., Part I: Information, Participation, and Welcome; Part II: Teachers, Parents, Self, and School), all of which were found to have high internal consistency and reliability. The survey was administered to parents of middle school children at a middle school in Pasco County, Florida. Results of multiple regression analyses indicated that none of the predictor variables significantly predicted the dependant variables. However, significant correlations emerged between (1) Information and Race-Other; (2) Information and Level of Education; (3) Participation and Level of Education; (4) Teachers and Race-Hispanic; (5) Teachers and SES; (6) Self and Level of Education; (7) School and Level of Education; and (8) School and SES. Additionally seven significant correlations were found when taking into consideration interaction affects of predictor, dependant, and moderator variables. Limitations to this study and survey research in general are discussed, as well as future directions.

<p>Adverse birth outcomes like preterm birth and infant mortality are unevenly distributed across socio-economic groups. Risks are usually lowest in groups with high socio-economic status and increase with decreasing status.</p><p>The general aim of this thesis was to contribute to the understanding of the relation between socio-economic status and birth outcomes, focussing on maternal education and class, studying a range of birth outcomes. More specific aims were to investigate the relation between maternal education and infant health, to study the combined influence of maternal childhood and adult social class on inequalities in infant health and to explore the contribution of maternal working conditions to class inequalities in birth outcomes. The studies are population based, focussing on singletons births 1973-1990. During the period under study, educational differences in birth outcomes increased, especially between those with the lowest and highest education. The low birth weight paradox emerged, suggesting that the distribution of determinants for low birthweight infants differs for these groups.</p><p>Further, an independent association was found between maternal childhood social class and low birthweight and neonatal mortality, but not for postneonatal mortality. Since this was found for the two outcomes closest to birth, this indicates that the association is mediated through the maternal body.</p><p>Finally, there is a contribution of maternal working conditions to class inequalities in birth outcome. Lower job control, higher job hazards and higher physical demands were all to some degree related to increased risk of the following adverse birth outcomes: infant mortality, low birthweight, very low birthweight, foetal growth, preterm birth, very and extremely preterm birth. Working conditions demonstrated disparate associations with the birth outcomes, indicating a high complexity in these relationships.</p>

<p>Since Dengue fever (DF) and its related forms, Dengue Hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) have become important health concerns worldwide, it is also imperative to develop methods which will help in the analysis of the incidences. Dengue fever cases are growing in number as it also invades widely, affecting larger number of countries and crossing climatic boundaries. Considering that the disease as of now has neither an effective vaccine nor a cure, monitoring in order to prevent or control is the resorted alternative. GIS and its related technologies offer a wealth of interesting capabilities towards achieving this goal.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The intention of this study was to develop methods to describe dengue fever outbreaks taking Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as a case study. Careful study of Census data with appropriate attributes was made to find out their potential influence on dengue fever incidence in the various regions or census districts. Dengue incidence data from year 2000 to year 2008 reported by the municipal secretariat of Rio was used to extract the necessary census districts. Base map files in MapInfo format were converted to shape files.  Using ArcGIS it was possible to merge the dengue fever incidence data with the available base map file of the City of Rio according to corresponding census districts. Choropleth maps were then created using different attributes from which patterns and trends could be used to describe the characteristic of the outbreak with respect to the socio-economic conditions. Incidence data were also plotted in Excel to see temporal variations. Cluster analysis were performed with the Moran I technique on critical periods and years of dengue outbreak. Using the square root of dengue incidence from January to April 2002 and 2008, inverse distance was selected as the conceptualised spatial relationship, Euclidean distance as the distance method. More detailed analyses were then done on the selected critical years of dengue outbreak, (years 2002 and 2008), to investigate the influence of socio-economic variables on dengue incidence per census district.</p><p> </p><p>Dengue incidence rate appeared to be higher during the rainy and warmer months between December and May. Outbreaks of dengue occurred in years 2002 and 2008 over the study period of year 2000 to 2008. Some factors included in the census data were influential in the dengue prevalence according to districts. Satisfactory results can be achieved by using this strategy as a quick method for assessing potential dengue attack, spread and possible enabling conditions. The method has the advantage where there is limited access to field work, less financial means for acquisition of data and other vital resources.</p><p>A number of difficulties were encountered during the study however and leaves areas where further work can be done for improvements. More variables would be required in order to make a complete and comprehensive description of influential conditions and factors.  There is still a gap in the analytical tools required for multi-dimensional investigations as the ones encountered in this study.  It is vital to integrate ‘GPS’ and ‘Remote Sensing’ in order to obtain a variety of up-to-date data with higher resolution.</p><p> </p>

<p>The ongoing development of the new post-apartheid South Africa is still dealing with its own cruel history. A socio-economic structure based on race has been built up over years of colonialization and apartheid where the black people of South Africa have been excluded from being South African citizens. The first democratic election in 1994 contributed to the “freedom in their life-time” that youth from the uprisings in Soweto urged for. But today, fourteen years after the relaxation of the apartheid the same socio-economic structures based on race are still visible, not as strict as then but still exceptionally obvious. Especially if you compare townships, like Khayelitsha in the outskirts of Cape Town, with it’s metropolitan area. Khayelitsha is predominantly black area and is also one of the poorest communities in Cape Town.</p><p>This thesis looks at one of the first generations in the ambivalence of the new post-apartheid South Africa, twelve years after the fall of apartheid. We have completed 14 qualitative interviews with adolescents in the age between 18-to-21, living in the socio-economic margin, in the township of Khayelitsha. We have examined their relations to the civil society and their participation within it. In addition also their future aspirations and how they will maintain them.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

<p>Contraception is said to be one of the vital determinants of fertility (Bongaarts, 1978). African nations, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa have a history of high fertility levels and low contraceptive use. However, contraceptive methods have been used one way or another throughout human history, although, due to improvements, these methods have evolved over the years. In Namibia, there tend to be a huge gap between women&rsquo / s knowledge of methods of contraception and usage thereof. For instance as per NDHS survey of 2000, 97 percent of married women knew of a contraceptive method, while 38 percent utilised them. This study aims at investigating knowledge and usage of contraceptives among women in union of reproductive age in an independent Namibia, 10 years after independence between 1992 and 2000. Socio-economic and demographic factors affecting contraceptive usage are examined in this study to determine their significance.</p>

<p>Health security is increasingly being seen as integral to any poverty reduction strategy. Health is viewed not only as an end in itself but also as an indispensable input into the development process because there is a positive link between health and development. Of all the risks facing poor households, health risks probably pose the greatest threat to their lives and livelihoods. Against this background, this research examines the vital subject of participation in mutual health insurance as a poverty reduction strategy at the rural community level. It has been accepted that community-based initiatives play important roles in improving poor people s risk-sharing arrangements. The extent to which these community-based initiatives are able to address the problem of social exclusion in local communities is far from being clear.</p>

<p>The aim of this study was to describe the demographic and socio-economic factors influencing infant feeding practices in the Amathola district, South Africa. A survey was chosen as the design method and a structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding the socio-economic and demographic factors and related infant feeding choices. The study population consisted of 100 women with infants up to the age of 14 weeks, who brought their infant for immunization at the selected community health clinic (the largest clinic in the Mdantsane area). Infants up to the age of 14 weeks were used because all the visits up to 14 weeks coincide with the local immunization program, and according to WHO guidelines all infants should be exclusively breastfed until they reach the age of 6 months of age. The study found that there are many families in the Mdantsane area that suffer from poor conditions and inadequate services such as a lack of electricity, working taps or flush toilets within their dwelling, which in turn has an impact on infant feeding practices. It was found that even in poor demographic and socio-economic conditions, formula feeding is still the chosen feeding practice for the majority of mothers.</p>