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D.Litt. et Phil. / The main aim of this study was to compile a career interest inventory – the Career Preference Inventory (CPI) – that would succeed in identifying the career preferences or vocational interests of learners from Grades 9 to 12. The specific objectives of the study involved an empirical examination of the content validity, construct validity, as well as reliability of the inventory. A study was also made of the structure of vocational interests of the test groups that formed part of the study. The study entailed two empirical investigations. When the inventory was administered for the first time, additional items were added to the SAVII and the test group was made up of a representative sample of 1385 Grade 9 and 12 learners in the North West Province. As a result of the item analysis that was based on this sample, 54 of the items in the questionnaire were either changed or replaced. The reliability coefficients of the subfields of the SAVII for the population involved in the first administration were acceptable and ranged between 0,747 and 0,901. After an analysis of the items in the SAVII and the selection of the most suitable items, the questionnaire – by now known as the Career Preference Inventory (CPI) – was administered once again. The reason for the second administration was to establish whether the amended items met the statistical requirements that had been set. Convenience sampling was used in this part of the study, since it was not possible to draw a representative sample of the population. The sample consisted of 1271 Afrikaans first language speakers, 2699 English second language speakers and 306 English first language speakers. Item analysis revealed that all the items were acceptable. The reliability coefficients of the fields of the CPI were also acceptable and varied between 0,714 and 0,860 for the particular test group. Test-retest reliability coefficients could be calculated for a group of 197 English second language speakers only and varied between 0,689 and 0,863. A factor analysis was made to determine the constructs or factors that emerged with regard to the CPI. Initially six factors were specified, but since the fields for Clerical-Administrative, Business, and Management manifested within a single factor, seven factors were subsequently withdrawn to establish whether the two latter-mentioned components could indeed function independently. The following fields or dimensions eventually realised: 1) Human-Communication; 2) Medical and related; 3) Technical-Scientific; 4) Practical-Handcraft; 5) Artistic; 6) Business and Management; and 7) Clerical-Administrative. The final questionnaire contains 18 fields that are described individually and that are not categorised into 6 main fields. The questionnaire is also supposed to disclose the vocational information in Career Mentor in an ordered and structured manner. The 18 fields are therefore linked to more than 500 occupations and the CPI results serve as a search strategy that unlocks the mentioned occupational database according to specific vocational preferences.

Prevention and slowing the progression, of chronic diseases ( such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis, dementia and incontinence ), and influencing risk factors and health behaviours of a population, relies on the best available data - driven evidence. The quality of measurement techniques to collect representative population health survey and surveillance data is, as a consequence, brought under scrutiny. The presentation of this thesis is the culmination of 17 years work that has been focused on contributing to improving public health in South Australia. It is premised on the understanding that continual epidemiological assessment using representative population health surveys can deliver evidence - based information needed by health policy makers, health planners and health promoters to make appropriate, timely and efficient evidence - based decisions. The objective of the portfolio of published papers was to demonstrate the contribution to producing quality data - driven evidence using population surveys through rigour in collecting self - reported data, diversifying surveillance data collection methods and facilitating collaboration. This portfolio presents papers that have addressed a range of methodological and chronic disease and risk factor epidemiological issues. In terms of demonstrating rigour the publications have addressed the bias associated with non - response, the methodological rigour inherent in face - to - face surveys, the differences in estimates that can occur based on mode of administration, the science of telephone surveying and the importance of good questionnaire design to produce valid and meaningful data. The literature presented has also demonstrated the first South Australian population - wide prevalence survey dealing with the consequences of domestic violence and associated issues ( for males and females ) in the community, and in doing so, demonstrated the use of the telephone to collect large - scale data in Australia on domestic violence and associated factors in the population. In addition, the first time the importance of undertaking an array of methodological precautions during the data collection phase associated with collecting data on sensitive health issues on the telephone was demonstrated in Australia as was the assessment of the bias obtained in health estimates dependent upon which telephone - based sample was used. In demonstrating the need for diversity in data collection the research submitted within this thesis has demonstrated the range of telephone surveying development issues and challenges in Australia and the benefits and the value of both face - to - face and telephone as survey data collection tools in Australia. The publications also made a significant contribution to the literature in the survey methodology area, in particular, within the systematic error in questionnaire design, the measurement error in BMI self - reported measurements, validity of self - reported height and weight, and the overall CATI methodology area. Epidemiological collaborative research in particular in the areas of social capital, HRT, mental health, suicide ideation, osteoporosis, interpersonal violence, chronic disease epidemiology and risk factor epidemiology was demonstrated. As a consequence of my research, surveying populations about their health is now entrenched into public health and health service sectors in SA. Rigour in collecting self - reported data, diversifying survey and surveillance data collection methods and facilitating collaboration, has produced quality date - driven evidence for South Australia. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Medicine, Discipline of Medicine, 2006.

Thesis (M Speech Path)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was done in collaboration with the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research (FARR), a non-governmental organization whose primary objective is to develop and maintain Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) prevention programmes across South Africa. Research has shown the occurrence of FASD in South Africa to be much higher than in other parts of the world. As part of their prevention programmes, FARR uses a three part diagnostic process, including a maternal interview, a dysmorphological examination, as well as a general developmental assessment. The maternal interview questionnaire that FARR currently uses takes an average of two hours per interviewee to complete. Even though a recent study indicates that FASD prevention programmes administered by FARR can potentially reduce FASD prevalence, shorter maternal interviews could improve the use of FARR resources and the ability of FASD research studies to gather meaningful information and inform future prevention efforts. The main purpose of this study was to adjust the maternal interview questionnaire used by FARR in order to make interviews with mothers shorter while delivering the information needed for successful FASD prevention programmes. Data related to the adequacy of the adjusted maternal interview questionnaire was collected and analysed according to an action research approach in four consecutive phases. The research procedures consisted of two separate focus group interviews with five key role players from FARR. During the first focus group interview the main problems with the questionnaire was identified as being (i) the length of the questionnaire, (ii) the unsuitability of the questionnaire to interview someone other than the biological mother, and (iii) inconsistency between interviewers when using the questionnaire. During the second phase of the study the questionnaire was adjusted and revised as part of a second focus group interview. The interviewers, data capturer and data analyst who used the adjusted questionnaire as part of a larger FASD prevention programme made several suggestions on how the questionnaire could be further adjusted to suit the needs of FARR. These suggestions were addressed during the final phase of the study, after which the adjusted questionnaire was finalized. Findings from the study suggest that identified problems with FARR’s original maternal interview questionnaire were successfully addressed by the adjusted questionnaire, while simultaneously satisfying the objectives of a maternal interview as identified by participants during the first focus group interview. Results confirmed that more maternal interviews could be conducted in the same time period using the adjusted interview questionnaire compared to when the original questionnaire was used, due to the fact that the questionnaire was shorter and took less time to administer. As part of this study an additional questionnaire was developed specifically for caregiver interviews. According to FARR role players, inconsistency between interviewers was for the most past successfully addressed by the development of this additional questionnaire and the development of an interviewer guideline. Recommendations for future research include the further development and evaluation of the caregiver questionnaire and interviewer guideline. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is uitgevoer in samewerking met die “Foundation for Alcohol Related Research” (FARR), ‘n nie-regeringsorganisasie met die primêre objektief om Fetale Alkohol Spektrum Afwyking (FASA) voorkomingsprogramme in Suid-Afrika te ontwikkel en te handhaaf. Volgens navorsing is die voorkoms van FASA in Suid-Afrika beduidend hoër as in ander dele van die wêreld. ‘n Drie-delige diagnostiese proses word as deel van FARR se voorkomingsprogramme gebruik, insluitend ‘n onderhoud gefokus op moeders, ‘n dismorfologiese ondersoek, asook ‘n evaluasie van die kind se algehele ontwikkeling. Die moeder-onderhoudsvraelys wat tans deur FARR gebruik word neem gemiddeld twee ure om te voltooi. Alhoewel ‘n onlangse studie aandui dat die voorkomingsprogramme deur FARR oor die potensiaal beskik om die prevalensie van FASA te verlaag, kan korter moeder-onderhoude potensieël daartoe lei dat bronne beter benut word, asook dat FASA voorkomingstudies betekenisvolle inligting versamel vir die ontwikkeling van toekomstige voorkomingsprogramme. Die hoofdoel van die huidge studie was om die moeder-onderhoudsvraelys wat tans deur FARR gebruik word aan te pas, om sodoende die onderhoude met moeders korter te maak terwyl die nodige inligting vir suksesvolle FASA voorkomingsprogramme steeds verkry word. Gedurende hierdie studie is data rakende die toereikendheid van die aangepaste moederonderhousdvraelys versamel en geanaliseer volgens ‘n aksie-navorsingsbenadering in vier opeenvolgende fases. Die navorsingsprosedures het bestaan uit twee afsonderlike fokusgroeponderhoude met vyf van die sleutelrolspelers van FARR. Gedurende die eerste fokusgroeponderhoud is die hoofprobleme met die vraelys geïdentifiseer as (i) die lengte van die vraelys, (ii) die ongeskiktheid van die vraelys om ‘n onderhoud met iemand anders as die biologiese moeder te voer, en (iii) die inkonsekwentheid tussen onderhoudvoerders met die gebruik van die vraelys. Gedurende die tweede fase van die studie is die vraelys aangepas en hersien as deel van ‘n tweede fokusgroeponderhoud. Die onderhoudvoerders, data verwerker en data analis wat die aangepaste vraelys gebruik het as deel van ‘n groter FASA voorkomingsprogram het verskeie aanbevelings gemaak rakende hoe die vraelys verder aangepas kan word om te voldoen aan FARR se behoeftes. Laasgenoemde aanbevelings is aangespreek gedurende die laaste fase van die studie, waarna die aangepaste vraelys gefinaliseer is. Die bevindinge van die studie dui aan dat die geïdentifiseerde probleme met FARR se oorspronklike moeder-onderhoudsvraelys suksesvol deur die aangepaste vraelys aangespreek is, terwyl die objektiewe van ‘n moeder-onderhoud (soos geïdentifiseer deur die deelnemers aan die eerste fokusgroeponderhoud) steeds vervul is. Resultate het bevestig dat meer moeder-onderhoude in dieselfde tydsperiode met behulp van die aangepaste vraelys gevoer kon word as met die oorspronklike vraelys, as gevolg van die feit dat dit korter was en minder tyd geneem het om te voltooi. As deel van die studie is ‘n bykomstige vraelys spesifiek vir sorggewer-onderhoude ontwikkel. Volgens die FARR rolspelers is inkonsekwentheid tussen die onderhoudvoerders grootliks suksesvol aangespreek deur middel van die ontwikkeling van hierdie bykomstige vraelys asook die ontwikkeling van ‘n riglyn vir onderhoudvoerders. Aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing sluit die verdere ontwikkeling en evaluasie van die sorggewer-vraelys en onderhoudvoerder riglyn in.