South Africa's water resources are, in global terms, scarce and extremely limited (DWAF, 2004). Groundwater is a valuable source of potable water in South Africa. It was found that most of the health facilities in the Limpopo Province depend on groundwater as sole source of potable water. Groundwater quality is to a great extent influenced by the dominant land use in the vicinity of an aquifer. It is therefore important to carefully manage possible pollution sources of anthropogenic origin. This may be seen as pro–active water quality management that may result in significant saving on water treatment. This aim of this study is to obtain a regional view of the water quality situation at clinics and other health facilities in the Limpopo Province. It was found that the general water quality at health facilities in the Province is questionable. It is of concern to note that 56% of health facilities use water that is unacceptable for human consumption. Water quality may be managed by introducing appropriate treatment options to treat the water to ideal water quality standards. This dissertation explores some treatment options used at health facilities in the Province. The efficiency of these treatment systems is also investigated. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Geography and Environmental Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

South Africa's water resources are, in global terms, scarce and extremely limited (DWAF, 2004). Groundwater is a valuable source of potable water in South Africa. It was found that most of the health facilities in the Limpopo Province depend on groundwater as sole source of potable water. Groundwater quality is to a great extent influenced by the dominant land use in the vicinity of an aquifer. It is therefore important to carefully manage possible pollution sources of anthropogenic origin. This may be seen as pro–active water quality management that may result in significant saving on water treatment. This aim of this study is to obtain a regional view of the water quality situation at clinics and other health facilities in the Limpopo Province. It was found that the general water quality at health facilities in the Province is questionable. It is of concern to note that 56% of health facilities use water that is unacceptable for human consumption. Water quality may be managed by introducing appropriate treatment options to treat the water to ideal water quality standards. This dissertation explores some treatment options used at health facilities in the Province. The efficiency of these treatment systems is also investigated. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Geography and Environmental Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This study focuses on self care among patients with hypertension visiting primary health care clinics in the Naledi sub-district in the North-West Province. Hypertension is one of the chronic diseases that shorten the life expectancy of many people globally and remains the most common and rapid growing cardiovascular disease, affecting 20 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. Hypertension is one of the quadruple burdens of disease associated with risky lifestyle behaviours like unhealthy diets with excessive energy intakes, physical inactivity and tobacco use. Although taking the mentioned common modif iable factors and the fact that hypertension is a manageable condition into consideration, the reality remains that the hypertension. A non-experimental, quantitative research was used to reach the aim of the study namely to identify and describe the self care abilities of patients diagnosed with hypertension, as well as explore and describe their knowledge and perceptions on hypertension. This was done by means of objectives to explore and describe self care abilities, knowledge and perceptions among patients diagnosed with hypertension; if there is an association between self care, knowledge and perception in relation to the level of education, age, income and time period and if there was association between self care and knowledge and perception of patients with hypertension visiting PHC clinics in Naledi sub-district in the North-W est Province. A literature review was first conducted for a clear understanding of self care and hypertension. Thereafter a structured questionnaire, consisting of demographical information, and questions on self care, knowledge and perception among patients with hypertension, was employed. Trained field workers assisted in data collec tion. A number of 142 questionnaires were completed by patients visiting PHC clinics. The demographic data was first analysed with results shown in the frequency table. The exploratory factor analyses were done for data reduction on self care, knowledge and perception among patients with hypertension. Descriptive statistics and Cohen effect sizes for factors on self care, knowledge and perception in relation to the level of education, age, income and other chronic illnesses of patients diagnosed with hypertension, correlational descriptive statistics between self care and knowledge and perception were done. The results revealed that patients with hypertension with low levels of education lack information with regard to hypertension. The higher the income of patients with hypertension, the better their self care abilities compared to those with low income. Patients who are English and Afrikaans speaking have more internal positive power and have better management abilities of hypertension than those who are Setswana speaking. Younger patients have more internal positive power, which declines with age. Those patients who are newly diagnosed with hypertension have more information on management abilities than those who have been diagnosed more than two years. The conclusion regarding the relationship of self care and knowledge and perception of hypertension is that the patients diagnosed with hypertension need knowledge on hypertension in order to adhere to self care abilities. The more knowledge patients have the better they will be able to adhere to self care activities. / Thesis (MCur)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This study focuses on self care among patients with hypertension visiting primary health care clinics in the Naledi sub-district in the North-West Province. Hypertension is one of the chronic diseases that shorten the life expectancy of many people globally and remains the most common and rapid growing cardiovascular disease, affecting 20 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. Hypertension is one of the quadruple burdens of disease associated with risky lifestyle behaviours like unhealthy diets with excessive energy intakes, physical inactivity and tobacco use. Although taking the mentioned common modif iable factors and the fact that hypertension is a manageable condition into consideration, the reality remains that the hypertension. A non-experimental, quantitative research was used to reach the aim of the study namely to identify and describe the self care abilities of patients diagnosed with hypertension, as well as explore and describe their knowledge and perceptions on hypertension. This was done by means of objectives to explore and describe self care abilities, knowledge and perceptions among patients diagnosed with hypertension; if there is an association between self care, knowledge and perception in relation to the level of education, age, income and time period and if there was association between self care and knowledge and perception of patients with hypertension visiting PHC clinics in Naledi sub-district in the North-W est Province. A literature review was first conducted for a clear understanding of self care and hypertension. Thereafter a structured questionnaire, consisting of demographical information, and questions on self care, knowledge and perception among patients with hypertension, was employed. Trained field workers assisted in data collec tion. A number of 142 questionnaires were completed by patients visiting PHC clinics. The demographic data was first analysed with results shown in the frequency table. The exploratory factor analyses were done for data reduction on self care, knowledge and perception among patients with hypertension. Descriptive statistics and Cohen effect sizes for factors on self care, knowledge and perception in relation to the level of education, age, income and other chronic illnesses of patients diagnosed with hypertension, correlational descriptive statistics between self care and knowledge and perception were done. The results revealed that patients with hypertension with low levels of education lack information with regard to hypertension. The higher the income of patients with hypertension, the better their self care abilities compared to those with low income. Patients who are English and Afrikaans speaking have more internal positive power and have better management abilities of hypertension than those who are Setswana speaking. Younger patients have more internal positive power, which declines with age. Those patients who are newly diagnosed with hypertension have more information on management abilities than those who have been diagnosed more than two years. The conclusion regarding the relationship of self care and knowledge and perception of hypertension is that the patients diagnosed with hypertension need knowledge on hypertension in order to adhere to self care abilities. The more knowledge patients have the better they will be able to adhere to self care activities. / Thesis (MCur)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.