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Thesis (MNutr)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction: The study investigated the development of a simple, cost effective method to monitor food and nutritional intake of mineworkers residing in a Single Accommodation Village (SAV) by using food inventory data. Objectives: The aim of the study was to calculate average food and nutrient intake per mineworker using household data, assess actual food intake (individual data), determine food wastage and to compare food and nutritional intake between group and individual data. Methodology: The study design was a cross-sectional, observational study with an analytical component. The study population consisted of male mineworkers residing in a SAV on a platinum mine in the North West Province and included mineworkers performing mainly underground tasks. A census sampling method was used to select mineworkers participating in the study, and a pilot study was done to test the proposed study process. The study was conducted over five days, which included one weekend day. Food inventory data was recorded by capturing all food quantities (weight measured in kilogram) used for food preparation on the study days. The yield of the prepared food and expected meal participation was used to calculate an average intake per mineworker according to the household record method. An observational study was done to establish the food record data. Meal as well as food item participation was recorded. Food wastage was determined by weighing the production as well as the plate wastage and this data was used to ascertain average food intake per mineworker. Results: Approximately 700 mineworkers participated in the study. The study recorded a 96% meal participation measured against the planned participation figures during the main meal with 74% participating in all menu items. The values for breakfast and dinner were 95% meal participation for both meals with 87% menu item participation during breakfast and 82% during dinner. By using the t-distribution test it was recorded that limited values measured between the food inventory data and the food record data fell within the 95% confidence intervals even after correction for food wastage. However, when the planned participation used to calculate the household data was incorporated into an equation using actual participation data, the values fell within the 95% confidence interval demonstrating that with 95% certainty the planned values (when calculated according to the suggested equation) were within those values observed during the study. Conclusion: Household data can be used as a tool to monitor average individual food and nutritional intake of mineworkers; however both planned and actual menu item participation figures should be considered, together with the total wastage per food item. This tool can be adapted to be used in industrial catering units to monitor food and nutritional intake, which will enable identification of food or nutrient deficiencies and timeous implementation of intervention strategies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inleiding: Die studie het ondersoek ingestel na die ontwikkeling van ‘n koste-effektiewe metode om die inname van voedsel en voedingstowwe van mynwerkers wat in enkel-akkommodasiebehuising (EAB) woon met behulp van voedselinventaris data te moniteer. Doelwitte: Die doel van die studie was om die gemiddelde voedsel en voedingstofinname per mynwerker met behulp van huishoudelike data te bereken, die werklike voedselinname (individuele data) te evalueer, voedselkwisting vas te stel en om voedsel- en voedingstofinname tussen groep en individuele data te vergelyk. Metode: Die studie-ontwerp was ‘n dwarssnitwaarnemingstudie met ‘n analitiese komponent. Die populasie van die studie het bestaan uit manlike mynwerkers woonagtig in ‘n EAB van ‘n platinum myn in die Noordwes Provinsie en het mynwerkers wat hoofsaaklik ondergronds werksaam is ingesluit. ‘n Sensussteekproefmetode is gebruik om deelnemende mynwerkers te selekteer en ‘n loods studie is gedoen om die voorgestelde studie model te toets. Die studie is oor vyf dae gedoen, wat een naweekdag ingesluit het. Voedselinventarisdata is versamel deur alle voedselhoeveelhede (in kilogram gemeet) wat gebruik was vir die voedsel voorbereiding op die studiedae in ag te neem. Die opbrengs van die voorbereide voedsel is gebruik om die gemiddelde inname per mynwerker volgens die huishoudelike rekord metode te bereken. ‘n Waarnemingstudie is gedoen om die voedselrekorddata vas te stel. Die voedselkwisting is bereken deur die produksie- asook bordkwisting te weeg en dan hierdie data te gebruik om die gemiddelde voedselinname per mynwerker te bereken. Resulate: Ongeveer 700 mynwerkers het aan die studie deelgeneem. Die studie het ‘n 96% maaltyddeelname opgeteken, gemeet teen die beplande deelnamesyfers tydens die hoofmaaltyd, met 74% deelname aan alle spyskaartitems. Die waardes vir ontbyt en aandete was 95% maaltyd bywoning vir beide etes, met 87% spyskaartitemdeelname tydens ontbyt en 82% tydens aandete. Die studie het beperkte waardes binne die 95% vertrouensinval tussen die voedselinventarisdata en voedselrekorddata opgeteken, selfs nadat die voedselkwistingsyfers in ag geneem is. Wanneer die beplande deelname wat gebruik is om die huishoudelike data te bereken egter in ‘n vergelyking wat werklike deelnamedata gebruik, inkorporeer word, het die waardes binne die 95% vertrouensinval geval. Dit is ‘n aanduiding dat daar met 95% sekerheid aangeneem kan word dat die beplande waardes (bereken volgens die voorgestelde vergelyking) vergelyk kan word met die waardes waargeneem tydens die studie. Gevolgtrekking: Huishoudelike data kan as ‘n meetinstrument dien om die gemiddelde individuele voedsel- en voedingstofinname van mynwerkers te moniteer. Beide beplande en werklike spyskaartitemdeelnamesyfers moet egter in ag geneem word, tesame met totale voedselkwisting per voedselitem. Hierdie instrument kan aangepas word vir gebruik in industriële voedseldienseenhede om voedsel- en voedingstofinname te moniteer, wat die identifisering van voedingstoftekorte en vroegtydige implementering van intervensie strategieë moontlik sal maak.

Cette thèse porte sur l'offre de travail et les décisions de fécondité des femmes en France. Dans le Chapitre 2, j’estime un modèle hierarchique en utilisant des micro-données Françaises et Allemandes. Le but étant de voir de quelle manière les régions Françaises et Allemandes différent, une fois que l’on contrôle pour des variables individuelles. Le Chapitre 3 étudie l'impact d'une première, d'une deuxième et d'une troisième naissance sur l'offre de travail et les salaires des femmes et des hommes. La question ici est de voir dans quelle mesure ces naissances ont un impact négatif, voire peut-être même positif dans le cas des hommes. Le Chapitre 4 étudie la durée qu’une mère passe hors du travail après la naissance de son premier enfant, et comment elle décide de retourner en activité. Un modèle de risques concurrents est utilisé pour cela. Le chapitre 5 présente un logiciel de gestion de versions. Ce type de logiciel simplifie grandement la production scientifique. / This thesis focuses on the labour supply and fertility decisions of women in France. In Chapter 2, I estimate a hierarchical model using French and German micro-data. The aim is to see how the French and German regions differ, once you control for individual variables. Chapter 3 examines the impact of first, second and third births on the labour supply and wages of women and men. The question here is to see to what extent these births have a negative impact, and perhaps even a positive one in the case of men. Chapter 4 examines how long a mother spends out of work after the birth of her first child, and how she decides to return to work. A competing risks model is used for this. Chapter 5 presents version control software. This type of software greatly simplifies scientific production.

Im Zuge der rasanten Verbreitung von Mikrokrediten und Mikrosparprodukten werden seit etwa einem Jahrzehnt auch Mikroversicherungen an einkommensschwache Haushalte in Entwicklungsländern verkauft. Sie stellen für diese Haushalte eine Möglichkeit dar, mit den Folgen von Risiken besser umzugehen und somit ihren Wohlstand zu steigern. Diese Arbeit verwendet quantitative und qualitative Analysemethoden – basierend auf eigenen Haushaltsumfragen und Fokusgruppendiskussionen –, um die Aufnahmebedingungen von Mikroversicherung in Ghana zu untersuchen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen erstens, dass über Standarddeterminanten der Versicherungsnachfrage hinaus Faktoren informeller Vertrauensbildung und die subjektive Risikoeinschätzung eine entscheidende Rolle spielen. Dies begründet sich in bestehenden Informationsasymmetrien und einer geringen Erfahrung mit dem Versicherungsprodukt und dem Versicherer. Ferner steht die Nutzung von Mikrolebensversicherung in einer sich verstärkenden Beziehung zu der Nutzung anderer formaler Finanzdienstleistungen. Zweitens wird deutlich, dass der Wert (Client Value), den die Zielgruppe in Mikroversicherung sieht, nicht allein auf Kosten- und Nutzenerwägungen basiert. Vielmehr spielen auch emotionale- und soziale Aspekte eine Rolle. Der Kundenwert wird dabei von Faktoren wie (geringen) Finanz- und Versicherungskenntnissen, der Beeinflussung durch die soziale Gruppe und dem Vergleich mit alternativen Risikomanagementstrategien beeinflusst. Drittens bestehen genderspezifische Muster in der Aufnahme von Mikrolebensversicherung, die mit dem Haushaltstyp und regional unterschiedlichen soziokulturellen Bedingungen zusammenhängen. Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass Präferenzen bezüglich Lebensversicherung innerhalb von Haushalten variieren und die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines Versicherungskaufs mit wachsender Verhandlungsstärke der Frau zunimmt. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass Frauen eine besonders wichtige Zielgruppe für Mikrolebensversicherungen sind. / Microinsurance has been the third financial service – following microcredit and microsavings - to enter emerging financial markets in the developing world. It is widely regarded as a promising innovation that could provide high welfare gains, given that low-income people often lack efficient strategies to manage and cope with risks. This thesis applies quantitative econometric and qualitative methods – based on own household and individual survey data and focus group discussions – to investigate participation patterns and perceived value in micro life insurance in Ghana. The results of this thesis show that household, first, uptake of micro life insurance does not entirely follow the predictions made by standard insurance theories. Informal trust-building mechanisms and subjective risk perceptions turn out to play an important role in the context of information asymmetries and limited experience with formal insurance. Furthermore, there is a mutually reinforcing relationship between micro life insurance and other formal financial services available in the rural and semi-urban study areas in Ghana. Second, the perceived value of microinsurance consists not only of the expected or experienced benefits and costs, but also of quality, emotional and social dimensions. Perceptions of high or low value are driven by large discrepancies between expectations and experiences, clients’ knowledge about insurance, their interaction with peers, and the availability and effectiveness of alternative risk management options. Third, there are gender-specific patterns of market participation between and within households that are intertwined with the household type and regionally varying sociocultural conditions. Spousal preferences on insurance differ and women with a higher bargaining power are more likely to purchase insurance on their own. The results suggest that women are an important target group for the provision of micro life insurance.