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The worsening humanitarian situation in Angola and the great lakes due to protracted wars, led to an influx of refugees in Namibia since 1992. The peak of the influx was between 1999-2002 when the camp population reached 25,000 people. Among the many challenges faced by these refugees was their health and nutrition. Malnutrition accounted for high levels of morbidity and mortality among the refugees. This study covered a review of health and nutritional situation of children less than five years of age in Osire refugee camp. It proposed that prevalence of malnutrition among this age group is a proxy for the nutritional status of the refugee population. It also considered the factors prevalent in the camp that affect the nutrition of the children.

Geohelminthiasis is a serious problem in city slums and despite being easily treatable in the short term, its elimination enjoys a low priority by parents, teachers and public health authorities. This is partly due to the greater emphasis given to the AIDS and TB programmes. This study of the prevalence, intensity, and reinfection rates of single and multiple geohelminth (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Necator americanus) infections in young children living in slums (informal settlements) in the Durban Unicity is a first for an African city and one of few similar studies anywhere in the world. The geohelminth status was assessed by means of a baseline survey of ten different slums, followed by two further surveys, one after 4Y:z - 6 months and another after 12 months. Infections were measured by microscopic examination of faeces before and after chemotherapy, and risk factors within and between slums were identified by means of a quantifiable questionnaire. The study showed that: 1. The slums have a high endemicity and transmission rate of geohelminth infections. 2. The sub-tropical climate and environment ensured a high survival rate of infective stages. 3. A. lumbricoides had a high prevalence and intensity, followed by T. trichiura with a moderately high prevalence and light intensity. A small proportion of children had intensities of these helminths an order of magnitude higher than previously recorded from rural areas of South Africa. N americanus had a very low prevalence and a very light intensity. 4. Egg output from follow-up 1 to follow-up 2 increased 4.6 fold for A. lumbricoides and 9.4 fold for T. trichiura. 5. Albendazole proved to be a very effective drug against A. lumbricoides and N americanus but not as effective against T. trichiura. 6. The infection and reinfection rates of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura proved to be influenced by different risk factors. 7. The most important risk factors included topographical position of the slum, quality of the dwelling, number of inhabitants, geophagy and source of fruit and vegetables. II Whereas the ideal solution to the geohelminth problem in the slums would be to upgrade the slum and its inhabitants, this is not an immediately viable option. The challenge of geohelminth control in these slums must be to determine the degree of environmental contamination by human faeces containing infective eggs, to ascertain the survival rate of the eggs and larvae and to implement a control programme together with suitable education of the inhabitants. The Parasite Control Programme should take into consideration that many slum-dwelling children do not go to school and need to be treated at home. A further factor that will have to be taken into account is that lack of influx control to urban areas will mean the continual reinfection of slum-dwellers by the movement from the rural areas. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

The purpose of this study was to analyze blood cholesterol readings of fourth grade students from Wells County obtained during the Caylor-Nickel Foundation sponsored Health Tour between 2001 and 2003 to determine the relationship between blood cholesterol levels and other health risk indicators.Nine hundred and thirteen fourth grade children participated in Health Tour. Anthropometric and biochemical variables were not available for every student. Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, BMI, and blood pressure were assessed. Fortythree percent of the children were either `at risk for overweight' or were `overweight.' Analysis of the anthropometric and biochemical data indicated a high mean total cholesterol levels and average HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides levels. Meaningful prediction equations to accurately predict total cholesterol values of the fourth grade children could not be formulated with more than 9.5% accuracy. Based on findings in this study, it appears that money would be better spent on the implementation and evaluation of wellness educational programs and physical activity classes for children rather than on costly blood cholesterol analysis. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

The worsening humanitarian situation in Angola and the great lakes due to protracted wars, led to an influx of refugees in Namibia since 1992. The peak of the influx was between 1999-2002 when the camp population reached 25,000 people. Among the many challenges faced by these refugees was their health and nutrition. Malnutrition accounted for high levels of morbidity and mortality among the refugees. This study covered a review of health and nutritional situation of children less than five years of age in Osire refugee camp. It proposed that prevalence of malnutrition among this age group is a proxy for the nutritional status of the refugee population. It also considered the factors prevalent in the camp that affect the nutrition of the children.

The present study constitutes an attempt to observe and measure the emotional responses of young children to hospitalization and surgery. There has been much inquiry and comment from psychiatric and medical sources which suggests that this experience may be seriously traumatic for some children, and social workers are rightly concerned about the possibilities of modifying the frightening aspects of hospital routines on the basis of their knowledge of children's emotional needs. A sample group of children (20) referred for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy by the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic of the Vancouver General Hospital was studied. The mother of each child was interviewed, three months after the hospitalization of her child, on the basis of a comprehensive questionnaire designed to determine the child's behaviour before and after surgery, including his usual reactions to punishment and the nature of the punishment. Relevant references by medical and social workers were studied, including the Albany Research Project which was a notable example of team research by a paediatrician, an anaesthetist, a psychiatrist, and a social worker, to establish patterns of child's reactions to the same operation in the Albany Hospital. Similar methods of assessing adjustment by measuring neuropathic traits before and after the experience were used. In the present study, special emphasis was laid upon ascertaining the nature of the mother-child relationship and the degree of anxiety around separation. Some follow-up was also incorporated. The same wards were observed five years later and differences in setting, policy, and procedures were noted and evaluated in terms of the earlier findings. It was found that ten of the twenty children suffered a severe emotional setback as a result of their illness and hospitalization. It was also observed that many of the children confused surgery with punishment and many had unrealistic ideas about the purpose of hospitalization. It is suggested that poor preparation contributed to this confusion, and that unimaginative methods of applying standard hospital procedures to small patients often confirmed fears and anxiety. Because the child's reaction to hospitalization is essentially based on the quality of his relationship with his mother, it is concluded that surgery should be postponed, if possible, until after five years of age; or, where postponement is impossible, mothers should be able to accompany young children to hospital. Some modifications in hospital routines applicable to children in hospital are suggested. The later observation of Vancouver General Hospital showed great changes in setting and policy, especially in regard to visiting, but found the two major procedures of admitting to hospital and preparation for anaesthesia and surgery virtually unchanged. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

M.Tech. (Homoeopathy) / Acute tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils, caused by a bacterial or viral infection. In most cases it is caused by a viral infection (Clarence & Sasaki, 2008), which is a common cause of upper respiratory tract infections in children (Baker et al., 2012). Tonsillitis is one of the most common causes of absenteeism in school children, which affects school performance (De Martino & Ballotti, 2007). Conventional treatment for viral tonsillitis include anti-inflammatory drugs, which does not actively treat the condition and may cause side effects (Clarence & Sasaki, 2008; Cocazza et al., 2001; Roxane & Nahata, 2006) such as bruising, skin rash, tinnitus, oedema, dyspepsia, depression, nervousness, insomnia, pruritis, visual disturbance, renal failure and gastrointestinal irritation which can result in bleeding (Rainsford, 2003; Scherer, 2012; Snyman, 2007). Tonzolyt® is a commercially available homoeopathic complex remedy indicated for both acute and chronic tonsillitis and sore throat. However, there is a lack of research to support its effectiveness (Herbaforce, 2010). The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of the homoeopathic complex Tonzolyt® on the symptoms of acute tonsillitis in black children attending a primary school in Gauteng. A Wong-Baker Face Pain Rating Scale measured pain intensity and a modified Semi-quantitative Basis Scale assessed changes in signs and symptoms of tonsillitis. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted over six days with daily follow-up assessments. Thirty participants, aged 6-12 years, suffering from acute viral tonsillitis, were recruited from a primary school in Gauteng. Parents / guardians were informed about the study by means of a letter (Appendix H). Attached to the letter there was an information form (Appendix A), as well as a Participant Profile form (Appendix D) to fill in, and a consent form (Appendix B) to sign. Parents / guardians and teachers were requested to refer children who showed signs of tonsillitis to the researcher. The researcher was available on the school premises on...

A 21-day metabolic balance study was designed to test the hypothesis that dietary zinc level affects protein utilization in growing children. Subjects' mean age was 8 years 5 months, mean weight was 29.5 kg, and mean height was 132.1 cm. The subjects were divided on the basis of weight into four treatment groups following a 2x2 factorial experimental design. After an eight day adjustment period in which all subjects consumed a mixed diet known to contain 28.8 g protein, 5.5 mg zinc, and 2,000 Kcal, the four treatments were administered for 12 days. One group was supplemented with the essential amino acids found by analysis to be most limiting with respect to whole egg protein. Threonine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, and lysine were added in amounts to reach a chemical score of 80 based on whole egg protein. The sources and amounts of nitrogen were: food, 4.18 and supplements, 0.14 g/day. One group received these same amino acids plus a zinc supplement of 5.0 mg/day. One group received an isonitrogenous amount of ammonium citrate matching the nitrogen contained in the amino acids supplement. The last group received the isonitrogenous amount of ammonium citrate plus 5.0 mg zinc. All supplements were given daily and were incorporated into meals. All urinary and fecal excretions were collected and analyzed for nitrogen and zinc. Nitrogen analysis was accomplished using a modified Kjeldahl-Gunning-Arnold method and zinc was determined spectrophotometrically on wet-ashed samples. Nitrogen retentions for the four groups were: amino acids plus zinc, 1.00; amino acids, 1.01; ammonium citrate, 0.90; and ammonium citrate plus zinc, 0.81 g/day. Analysis of variance on the balance data from the four groups showed no effect of zinc, added essential amino acids or the interaction of the two on the nitrogen balance of the subjects, although the trends of retention favored amino acids. There was a significant effect (p<.01) of added zinc on zinc balance, however. It was concluded that zinc did not affect nitrogen utilization in the growing child, but that zinc balance is affected by zinc quantity in the diet. The present Recommended Dietary Allowance of 10 mg zinc/day for this age group is the minimum necessary to maintain positive zinc balance. / Ph. D.

This thesis is a record of the results of a study made to obtain information about the relation of food, rest, and recreation to the height and the weight of the children in the fifth grade of Winnetka School, Dallas, Texas. The purpose of the work was three-fold: (1) to gain a better understanding of the nutritive value of foods and thereby put this understanding into practice; (2) to recognize the three essentials of good health: namely, diet, rest, knowledge of health rules; (3) and to create a desire to practice them.

The Monterey School Diabetes Prevention Project's (MSDPP) ENERGY Club is a pilot project for school-based health prevention curriculum targeting students with risk factors for diabetes. ENERGY is an acronym for Exercise 'n Eating Right is Good for You.