Thesis (MSc (Psychology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / As part of the South African government’s strategy to support those with HIV/AIDS and their relatives, HIV/AIDS service points have been established at Public Health Facilities. An increasing number of HIV-positive children and their caretakers receive treatment here. Indirectly the paediatric patients’ uninfected caretakers and the adult patients’ children also come into contact with the Public Health System during visits. The HIV-positive and uninfected children and caretakers form a heterogeneous HIV/AIDS-affected population, which may experience particular fears due to their particular circumstances. Circumstance-particular coping strategies may be necessary. Children do, however, also experience normative childhood fears and their coping strategies display developmental characteristics. Direct and indirect learning experiences furthermore may contribute to children’s experience of fear. The participants were 40 HIV/AIDS-affected children (M = 9.4 years; HIV-positive = 30.0%) and their caretakers (N = 34; M = 36.7 years; HIV-positive = 76.5%) who had been in contact with the Public Health System of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. There were five sub-objectives. Regarding the children the objectives were to consider, against the background of normative literature, whether the target group was a special population regarding their (1) fears and (2) coping strategies. Furthermore the objective was (3) to get to know the children’s world through their learning experiences. Concerning the caretakers the objectives were to explore their personal (4) fears and (5) coping strategies. In addition the caretakers’ perceptions about their children’s fears and coping strategies were gathered. The study was explorative and a mixed methodological research model was used. Data were gathered through individual interviews. The children also completed the Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test (GHD) and the caregivers a demographic questionnaire. Data were analysed by using a combination of qualitative and quantitative strategies. The children reported normative childhood fears, mainly of wild animals. A substantial minority of the children reported fears connected to crime, an unsafe transport system, death, illness, and HIV/AIDS and special circumstances were therefore identified. The children’s coping strategies were circumstance-specific and problem-focused avoidance reported most. Living in a modern society these children’s fears have also been influenced by for instance television. The fears and coping strategies reported by the children and their care-takers’ perceptions thereof, concurred. The caretakers’ personal fears mainly were connected to psycho-social needs and social roles, which stand central during adulthood. Specifically fears about the children’s welfare were reported most. The caretakers reported crime and animalrelated fears similar to their children. A search for social support as well as preventative action were the coping strategies that were reported most. A noteworthy preventative-action strategy seemed to be healthy eating habits, given the controversy about natural products being used as HIV/AIDS treatment within the South African context. The findings were integrated within a systems-theoretical framework. The fears and coping strategies of the HIV/AIDSaffected children and their caretakers were interpreted to be the result of an interaction between their personal characteristics and their social environment.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 58-68).

Thesis (MA(Psychology))-University of Pretoria, 2006. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, June 30, 2007." Includes bibliographical references (p. 26-30). Also available in print.

Thesis (MA(Science of Religion and Missiology)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-133)

published_or_final_version / Speech and Hearing Sciences / Master / Master of Science in Audiology

Thesis. (M.Tech. (Food Service Management, Dept. of Hospitality and Tourism and PR Management))--Vaal University of Technology, 2009. / Background - Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that causes the disease Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). the IV/AIDS epidemic in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) has already orphaned a generation of children, and it is projected that by 2010, 18 million African children under the age of 18 years are likely to be orphans (Andrew, Skinner & Zuma 2006:269-276). In 2005 approximately 4.1 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses. A common consequence of HIV/AIDS infection is malnutrition and weight loss, which is used as a diagnostic criterion for HIV/AIDS. the relationship between HIV/AIDS and malnutrition and wasting is well desccribed, with nutritional status compromised by reduced food intake, malabsorption caused by gastrointestinal involvement, increased nutritional needs as a result of fever and infection and increased nutritional losses. Malnutrition contributes to the frequency and severity of the opportunistic infections seen in HIV/AIDS and nutritional status is a major factor in survival. Failure to maintain body cell mass leads to death at 54 percent of ideal body weight. The effectiveness of nutrition intervention has been documented and counselling in dietary nutrition is considered critical in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Objective - The main objective of this study was to determine the nutritional status of the HIV/AIDS-affected or immunity compromised children attending a care centre in Boipatong in order to develop an energy bar to address malnutrition in these children. Methodology - This was an experimental study carried out in four phases. The planning of the study constituted the first phase. In the second phase a baseline survey was conducted, in which a socio-demographic questionnaire (n=45) was administered amongst children aged six to 13, with the assistance of trained fieldworkers. Dietary intake was measured by a 24-hour recall and Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and anthropometric measurements included height and weight. The data from the socio-demographic questionnaires and FFQ were captured on an Excel spreadsheet. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows version 15.0 program was used to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics were used (frequencies, means and SD. The 24-hour recall was analysed for means and Standard Deviation (SD) of nutrient intakes on the FoodFinder program version 3.0 and compared to Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI). The anthropometric measurements were analysed using the WHO growth standards (2007). Phase 3 incorporated the development of the snack bar, sensory evaluation, microbiological tests for shelf life determination and chemical analyses to determine nutrient content. Phase 4 entailed the writing of the report. Results - In the baseline survey the results indicated that this was a low-income community with compromised nutrtion, mainly under-nutrition owing to poor dietary intake despite a good variety of foods in the diet. All the households included in this study were resident in Boipatong and the majority (86.5 percent) have lived in Boipatong for longer than five years. although the majority of respondents resided in brick houses (69 percent), only 30 percent had access to water inside and outside their houses, 23.1 percent had access to water, 78.4 percent had access to electricity and 75 percent had regular waste removal. The percentage of unemployed among the children's caregivers was high (60.9 percent) and the majority of households (40 percent) had an income on R500-1000 per month, with two contributors of household income in 57 percent of the households. Although the average household consisted of five people, the houses were relatively small with 75 percent of all the households having four or more rooms. All of the households experienced problems such as rodent and insect infestation. The household food security was also a dilemma in this community as 70.6 percent of the respondents indicated that they bought food only once a month and the majority of households spent less than R150 (5.4 percent of household income) on food per month i.e. less than R37.50 per week. The anthropometric results indicated 29 percent stunting, and 23 percent underweight among the boys in the target group, compared to 30 percent and 0 percent for the girls respectively. The criteria applied in developing the snack food were to achieve at least 25 percent of vitamin A, vitamin C, Vitamin E, certain B-group vitamins and minerals such as selenium, zinc and iron to meet the recommended dietary allowances (RDA). Since the results showed that 67 percent of households had an electrical stove, an easily prepared recipe was formulated which could be taught to the caregiver. Moreover, at R1.50 per person per day, the product was cost-effective and proved safe as well as acceptable to the children, thus ensuring compliance when the feeding intervention is implemented. The sensory evaluation of the snack item showed that it was acceptable to the majority of the children as it received a high score for taste, general appearance and overall acceptability. The snack food item was tested for shelf life and the results showed a shelf life of 168 days in a refrigerator and a recommeded shelf life of 21 days at room temperature (30 C). Conclusions and recommendations - The results indicated that poverty, household food insecurity and malnutrition were prevalent in this community. Furthermore, the study proved that a product could be developed to meet specific criteria. It is recommended that this product be tested in a clinical intervention study to determine the impact on the nutritional status of children with compromised immunity. / National Research Foundation

The early selection and use of an appropriate amplification system may be the most important aspect in the aural! rehabilitation of children who are hearing impaired. The main goal guiding the selection of hearing aids for children is to maximize their residual hearing through amplification in order to facilitate speech and language development. Seewald, Ross, and Stelmachciwicz (1987) have developed a speech-spectrum based procedure for selecting hearing aid characteristics for children referred to as the Desired Sensation Level Procedure (DSL) approach. This is an objective method which has been developed specifically for use with young pre-verbal children. I The purpose of the present study was to determine how closely the previously fitted amplification systems of profoundly hearing-impaired children approximated the amplification targets that would be prescribed for their hearing losses by the DSL method. The data were used to examine the feasibility and appropriateness of the DSL method for prescribing amplification for children with profound hearing impairments. Twenty amplification systems worn by profoundly hearing-impaired children were electroacoustically evaluated to discover how closely they approximated the DSL fitting criteria. Hearing thresholds were obtained for each subject for the frequencies 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz using puretone audiometry. The DSL computer program was used to generate prescribed 2 cc. coupler targets at each frequency. The subjects' amplification systems were electroacoustically analyzed to determine the measured 2 cc. coupler response. Means and standard deviations were reported for prescribed and measured gain values at each frequency. Two-tailed t-tests were computed to determine if a difference exists between prescribed and measured gain. The tests were considered significant at the .05 level. A significant difference between the means was found at 2000 and 4000 Hz. Correlation coefficients were calculated at each frequency to determine if a predictable relationship between prescribed and measured gain existed. Correlation coefficients showed weak relationships between the two groups of data. These results showed the difficulty of meeting prescribed amplification targets, particularly in the high frequencies for children with profound hearing impairments.

Thesis (M. Communication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2007. / Additional advisors: Gypsy Abbott, Lois M. Christensen, Lynn D. Kirkland, Maryann Manning. Description based on contents viewed Feb. 6, 2008; title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-104).