A descriptive study was undertaken on mothers who have children with non-syndromic cleft lip and palate. It involved 42 mothers from one public and one private hospital in Johannesburg during the period starting January 2009 and finishing in December 2009. A self-administered questionnaire was used to determine the Impact on the Quality of Life exerted by these children on their mother’s lives. The majority of the mothers in the study are African or White, comprising 11 African, 17 White, seven Indian and four Coloured mothers. Thirty-five (35) were married, one was single, and five chose not to respond. Twenty-one (21) of the mothers interviewed had high school education and 19 tertiary education. Thirty-one (31) were employed; seven unemployed and two gave no response. Sixty-five percent (65%) of the children are male and 35% are female of whom 48.8% were diagnosed prenatally and 51.2% postnatally. Only forty-seven percent (47%) of participants received adequate counselling during prenatal and postnatal care while 53% did not. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of the women in the study said they would attend prenatal care for their subsequent children. Impact on Family Scale This study examined the difference in quality of life for the family after the birth of the affected child as compared to before the birth assuming that parents lived a near normal life before the birth of their child. It can be seen that the majority of the women identified the following five items: being overtired and exhausted; managing to cope with the condition; family becoming closer as a result of the illness; partners analysing problems together; and treating the child as normally as possible as affecting their quality of life. There is no significant difference in most of the items across the four races. That is, African, White, Indian and Coloured mothers assessed the items similarly, except when considering the question of additional income being required to cover medical expenses: here African and Coloured mothers found that more income was required to cover medical expenses while Indian and White mothers disagreed. When comparing the relationship between the level of education of mothers and the impact on the family there is a similar trend as regards race. There is no significant difference in the items between the two levels of education, except for the need to reduce time spent at work to care for the sick child, and travelling to hospital which both add to the mental and a physical strain. Mothers with a tertiary education found that this was not a problem; however those with a high school education found that it impacted badly on their lives. Most parents said they would have preferred an antenatal diagnosis and adequate counselling prior to the birth as well as post-delivery, and they will access this service for subsequent children. The research highlights important factors affecting parents whose children have cleft lip and palate. Among the most important of these are that a prenatal diagnosis is preferred in most cases, also that counselling—both in the prenatal and postnatal period—plays a vital part in managing the sick infant. Other important findings highlighted were that mothers with a tertiary education had lower-impact scores than mothers with a high school education; also that families found themselves drawn together and helping one another manage circumstances better.

Quality of life is an important yet often unmeasured variable in assessing places to live. Maintaining and promoting a high quality of life is critical for communities striving to sustain and expand their current economic bases. This study presents a format for measuring quality of life and an adaptation of the importance-performance analytical technique for evaluating results. Using results from a quality of life survey, the study demonstrates how policy implications may be suggested from the analysis.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Nursing Johannesburg, 2017 / Quality of life is a multidimensional, subjective and individualized concept influenced by culture and value systems. Cancer as a disease remains a major health problem globally and it’s estimated that 528 000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually whilst 266 000 will die each year. In Africa cervical cancer statistics indicate that there are 99 038 incidences and 60,098 cervical cancer related deaths (International Agency for Research in Cancer and World Health Organization, 2012). Women with cervical cancer experience physical, psychological and sex-related problems as the consequences of both the disease and treatment and this affects their quality of life. Research Question: What is the quality of life of women treated for cervical cancer at an academic hospital in Gauteng? Purpose of the study was to explore the quality of life in cervical cancer during treatment, at six months and twelve months post treatment at an academic hospital in Gauteng. Aims of the study: The objectives of the study were (1) to explore the quality of life in cervical cancer patients treated with radiation therapy and (2) to compare with the quality of life of women at six months and twelve months after completion of treatment at an academic hospital in Gauteng. Research Design: This is a cross sectional and explorative study. A sample of 153 women was recruited using a convenience sampling for the three groups and data were collected using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CX24 questionnaires. The data were captured on an excel spreadsheet and analysed using SPSS IBM 22.0. Results: The overall quality of life of the respondents was affected by the acute side effects experienced during treatment. Cancer related symptoms improved with radiotherapy treatment. Physical functioning was reported as the most affected domain while social functioning was the least affected. / MT2017

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment for the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in Psychiatry Johannesburg, 2017 / Introduction: Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness, which is often characterized by a relapsing course with resultant effects on most areas of functioning due to the disability associated with it. The presence of any of the symptoms of schizophrenia can be extremely distressing for the families or caregivers who care for the patient. The term caregiver burden arose following the deinstitutionalization of mental health patients that was associated with integration of patients with severe mental illnesses into the community. Limited data of caregiver burden and its relationship with quality of life (QOL) is available in South Africa. The aim of the present study is to describe the nature of caregiver burden and to describe the relationship between caregiver burden and QOL. Methods: The study is descriptive and cross-sectional in nature and was conducted at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital from February 2014 to October 2014. Data was collected from caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in the form of questionnaires. Caregiver burden was assessed by the use of a Caregiver Strain Index questionnaire with a score greater than 7 suggesting a high caregiver burden. Quality of life was assessed with the World Health Organization Quality of Life brief questionnaire; it is scored on six domains each of which contributes to the caregiver’s overall impression of their quality of life. Results: Of the 127 participants identified for the study, eight six participated. Significant factors associated with higher caregiver burden were as follows: increased number of admissions per year, caring for adults less within the ages of 46-55 years, caring for patients with psychosocial stressors and living in a household with 3 to 4 people. Conclusion: The relationship between caregiver burden and caregiver QOL suggested that as caregiver burden increases, QOL decreases. / MT2017

No description available.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-103).

Thesis (B.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2003. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, April 30, 2003." Includes bibliographical references (p. 28-30) Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1993.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1993.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references.