Sleep has been recognized as a major determinant of physical and mental health. Emerging studies suggested that social and built environments should be considered as important determinants of sleep health, however causal mechanisms between neighborhood factors and sleep health still remain unclear. The proposed dissertation is a connected set of papers including a systematic review and longitudinal studies investigating associations between neighborhood stressors and sleep health as well as potential causal mechanisms via psychological distress and physical activity. The longitudinal studies employed comprehensive measures of neighborhood characteristics and sleep health along with g-estimation and mediation analysis techniques. Neighborhood social and built environments may contribute to poor sleep health, particularly in low-income and racial/ethnic minority neighborhoods, and psychological distress can be a salient pathway linking these neighborhood characteristics and sleep health. Based on our findings, interventions to improve sleep should target modifiable factors and enhance neighborhood environments. These sorts of strategies have the potential to improve not only sleep health but also other health outcomes.

Thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Management (in the field of Public & Development Management) to the Faculty of Commerce, Law, and Management, University of the Witwatersrand May 2016 / The study aimed to conduct an output evaluation of eKhaya Neighbourhood Development Programme in Hillbrow South, an intervention which was set up in 2004 to advance safety, cleanliness and welcoming behaviour among residents in a historically perilous and unpopular neighbourhood. Hillbrow South is the first precinct to conduct this intervention within Hillbrow and even with the expansion of the intervention to the broader part of Johannesburg, the niggling factor since eKhaya’s implementation has always been whether there is any value for this type of intervention to the stakeholders, whether the intervention is worth the support of funders who can potentially carry this programme forward through adequate funding. Such stakeholders require convincing indication that the programme is working hence an output evaluation study. The research interrogates various literatures to find the ones used to guide this study. In this regard, Howarth (1998) and the Housing Development Agency (2012) are the two literatures identified for this purpose. Through self-administered questionnaires and focus groups, data was collected from existing tenants who are beneficiaries of the intervention. A t-test was used to analyse data and content analysis or narrative analysis for the analysis of focus group data. The research findings in both the survey and focus group are in-sync and show a positive outcome among residents. One of the lessons learned from this study indicate the need for continued research on the impact of the programme. These findings are accompanied by recommendations on how to improve the programme in various areas. / MB2016

Since the late 1960's, fundamental changes in Canadian immigration policy, encouraging more middle-class/professional immigration in an effort to create employment and to boost the nation's skill profile, have precipitated a shift in orientation of population and capital flows into Canada. In particular the countries of the Pacific Rim have risen in relative importance as source regions of both international finance and migrants. These trends have had an uneven impact across Canada, and Vancouver in particular has come to play a significant role as a "gateway city". This thesis considers some of the ramifications of the emerging social geography of this elite portion of the wide spectrum of immigrants entering Canada. In focusing on neighbourhood change within the upper middle-class suburb of Kerrisdale, situated on Vancouver's elite West Side, it examines the cultural politics surrounding perceived social change. It explores a contested sense of identity and place, showing how these are informed and invigorated by a diverse set of social struggles evident in conflicting landscape 'tastes' in the neighbourhood of Kerrisdale. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

Doctorat en Sciences politiques et sociales / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished