Thesis (M Med (Paediatrics and Child Health)-- University of Limpopo, 2011. / ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Immunization is one of the most cost effective preventative health care interventions that is available to communities; it has greatly reduced the burden of infectious diseases in childhood. Since the W orId Health Organization launched the expanded programme of immunization in 1974, routine childhood immunization is widely available and it forms an integral part of preventative healthcare. Unfortunately, many children lack access to this life saving health care intervention. Communities in poor, rural areas often lack access to basic services, including health care and immunization services. We studied immunization coverage in a poor, rural community in South Africa and further explored what factors put children in this community at risk for under-immunization. METHOD: This was a cross sectional study, in which the immunization status of children from birth to six years of age living in Mmakaunyane was assessed. The primary caregivers of these children were also interviewed to determine their knowledge, attitudes and their practices with regards to immunizations; they were further asked about their perception of healthcare service delivery in the village. Using a map of the village, it was divided it into 30 blocks with 4 clusters in each block. Field workers were looking for a maximum of 5 eligible children in each cluster. We used the Road to Health Card to check if immunization was complete for age according to the SA EPI. RESUL TS: There were 567 children enrolled in the study. The majority of the children were above 18 months of age (64.4%) We found that 92.1 % of children were in possession of a RHC. In total, 432 (76.2%) of the children were fully immunized for their age, 97 (17.1%) had incomplete immunizations and immunization status was unknown for 38 (6.7%). The primary caregiver for most of the children was the biological mother (85.5%). There was a low level of education amongst the primary caregivers with only 15.3% having completed matric or attained higher level of education. Caregiver knowledge of immunization was poor and only 21.1 % of caregivers correctly mentioned three diseases that can be prevented by immunization. The majority of the caregivers (96.0%) believed that immunizations help to keep children healthy. Approximately half (49.9%), of the caregivers perceived immunization service delivery in Mmakaunyane village to be good. Factors that were found to be associated with incomplete immunization included age of caregiver, gender of the child and knowledge of the caregiver on immunization. CONCLUSION: Only 76.2% of children were fully immunized for their age in Mmakaunyane village. This immunization coverage rate is less than the National target of 90% for all children aged one year. The proportion of children under one year of age that are fully immunized is higher than that of the whole group. This indicates that the older children have a lesser level of immunization coverage (>18 months: 74.2%). The major factors that were found to be associated with under-immunization include lack of knowledge about immunizations, older age of the caregiver as well as poor accessibility of health care services. Female children were also found to be at increased risk for under-immunization. Measures to improve immunization coverage in this community need to take all these factors into consideration

Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- The Institute for Clinical Social Work, 2002. / A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Institute of Clinical Social Work in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Thesis (M.S.)--Eastern Illinois University. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-49).

No description available.

This paper examines the relationship between national income and child labour. We are particularly interested in evaluating the economic role of children at different stages of development. Our objective is to show that in the aggregate, at a low level of development the direction of the relationship between the incidence of child labour and per capita income is indefinite. Child labour may increase or decrease with income. Forecasts of the child labour force participation rate as well as per capita gross domestic product are made for each country in the sample. We also forecast future levels of the primary net enrollment ratio in an effort to provide empirical support for our policy recommendations. Using panel data methodology, we find evidence of an inverted-U, Kuznets-like relationship between the child labour force participation rate and per capita GDP. Holding all else constant, forecast results suggest that for those countries on upward sloping part of the curve, child labour is a problem that will persist for many years to come. The growth rates of per capita GDP required to reach 10 per cent child labour by the target date, 2029, range from 2 per cent to 15 per cent. Our results highlight the importance of the identification of other aspects of development as determinants of child labour levels, as well as exploring the role of government policy. Further research opportunities are also presented.

This paper examines the relationship between national income and child labour. We are particularly interested in evaluating the economic role of children at different stages of development. Our objective is to show that in the aggregate, at a low level of development the direction of the relationship between the incidence of child labour and per capita income is indefinite. Child labour may increase or decrease with income. Forecasts of the child labour force participation rate as well as per capita gross domestic product are made for each country in the sample. We also forecast future levels of the primary net enrollment ratio in an effort to provide empirical support for our policy recommendations. Using panel data methodology, we find evidence of an inverted-U, Kuznets-like relationship between the child labour force participation rate and per capita GDP. Holding all else constant, forecast results suggest that for those countries on upward sloping part of the curve, child labour is a problem that will persist for many years to come. The growth rates of per capita GDP required to reach 10 per cent child labour by the target date, 2029, range from 2 per cent to 15 per cent. Our results highlight the importance of the identification of other aspects of development as determinants of child labour levels, as well as exploring the role of government policy. Further research opportunities are also presented.

Previous studies (Madole, Eastman, Stone, & White, 2005) have suggested that children do not make inferences about people on the basis of race until around 8 years of age. The present study was a replication of a study performed by Madole et al. The distinction between the two studies was in the sample used, hi the previous study the majority of children used were Caucasian. The present study sought to examine whether African American children were more likely to make inferences on the basis of race than Caucasian children. Children ages 6 to 11 years were asked to perform an inference task. The inference task consisted of the children looking at a target picture and two comparison sets of pictures. The children were then asked to choose which set of pictures was more comparable to the target picture based on a novel characteristic. These characteristics were social, biological, and individual in nature. There was also a control task in which trivial characteristics were used. The children were able to make their choices based on age, race, or sex. I hypothesized that the sample of African American children would more often choose their matches in the inference task based on race. I believed that this choice would be made across all characteristics as well as the control tasks. I also believed that older children would more often make matches according to race than younger children. Lastly, I expected that the sample in the current study would more often make matches based on race than the sample in the Madole et al. study. The analyses indicated that the children in the current study made more age-based inferences than race- or sex-based inferences. They only made more race-based inferences when given social attributes. They did not make more race-based inferences than the children in the Madole et al. study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the similarities between children and their friends. Previous research had focused on demographic similarities, with a little attention given to behavioral similarities. This study sought to expand the knowledge of similarities between friends to sociometric and social information processing characteristics and show that friends were more similar than random pairs of children. Children completed a rating and nomination sociometric interview. Children also completed a social information processing interview in which they viewed ambiguous provocation situations and then rated a series of social goals and gave social problem solving responses. Two-hundred and twenty-four pairs of reciprocated friends and 224 random pairs of children were identified and used for analyses. Correlational analyses and regression analyses were used to assess similarities. Results showed that friend pairs were similar for prosocial, hostile/instrumental, and passive/avoidant goals, however, regression analyses indicated that friends' characteristics were significant predictors of only some prosocial and hostile/instrumental goals. Friend pairs also were similar in the passivity/assertiveness of their social problem solving responses. Thus, the current study shows some support for the hypothesis that children and their friends are similar in their social processing mechanisms. Further research should be conducted to determine whether small sample size and small standard deviations made the detection of effects more difficult.

Marital quality and maintenance

Thesis(Ph.D.)--Case Western Reserve University, 2009 / Title from PDF (viewed on 2009-11-23) Department of Social Welfare Includes abstract Includes bibliographical references and appendices Available online via the OhioLINK ETD Center