Access and use of information facilitate the improvement of agriculture in rural areas. It is therefore important to ensure that adequate and appropriate information flows to the rural areas, and that farmers are able to utilise it. This study investigated the access and use of poultry management information in three rural districts of Tanzania, namely Iringa Rural, Morogoro Rural and Mvomero. The survey method, supplemented by methodological triangulation, was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 360 poultry farmers in the selected rural communities. Sixteen focus group discussions were conducted, in which 160 farmers participated. Twenty-two information providers were interviewed. The SPSS® software was used to analyse quantitative data, while qualitative data was analysed using content analysis. The findings indicated that poultry farmers needed information on poultry disease control, poultry protection, shelter for poultry and poultry production. There was very low identification and prioritisation of farmers’ information needs by the information providers. Farmers accessed information that had a direct impact and was deemed relevant to their farming activities. It was revealed that farmers accessed information mainly from interpersonal sources. Likewise, farmers preferred interpersonal and informal sources to formal sources of information. The extension officers were considered to be the most effective information source, followed by family, friends, and neighbours. Various factors, such as lack of awareness, unavailability of extension officers and poor infrastructure, influenced access and use of poultry management information. It was concluded that most of the information providers were not aware of the farmers’ information needs, and as a result they were not in a position to disseminate relevant information. In addition, farmers were used to an oral culture, which means that they would probably continue to depend on interpersonal sources of information, regardless of the availability of formal channels and modern sources. The study recommended several measures, including the use of multiple sources of information and delivery of information in a variety of formats, in order to accommodate various categories of farmers. The study also suggested some areas for further research. Furthermore, a model for effective dissemination of poultry management information in rural areas was proposed. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Text in English / The purpose this study was to explore food habits and nutritional behaviours of adolescents in a school in Lenasia South, in Gauteng Province. Qualitative, explorative research was conducted in order to recommend effective prevention strategies of non-communicable diseases. Adolescents from the selected secondary school formed the sample of the study. Data collection was done using focus groups’ discussions. Three focus group discussions were conducted in the study. The first group comprised of thirteen male adolescents, followed by ten female adolescents and the final group was a combination of both female and male learners to produce a homogenous group. Specific common eating habits and nutritional behaviours emerged from the focus group discussions which included skipping meals, high consumption of high energy dense foods and sweetened beverages. Consequently, when developing intervention programs and policies to improve health of adolescents, environmental influences that undermine efforts to improve adolescent’s dietary behaviours must be addressed. / Health Studies / M.P.H.

A energia elétrica de uso doméstico no cenário mundial é um fenômeno recente que incorporou modulações temporais na expressão dos ritmos biológicos, como os hábitos alimentares e de sono. Após sua popularização, tecnologias eletrônicas foram criadas e incorporadas às nossas rotinas diárias. O acesso à iluminação elétrica promove uma maior flexibilidade na organização temporal das nossas atividades por facilitar o controle de extensão da fase de atividade para horas mais tardias da noite. Assim, essa situação pode constituir um desafio temporal ao organismo, gerado pelas oscilações das pistas temporais, adiantando ou atrasando a ocorrência de eventos rítmicos como a alimentação/jejum, atividade/repouso e metabolismo. O estudo foi realizado com 27 universitários entre 18 a 30 anos (17 mulheres; 10 homens) nos quais o comportamento alimentar e de sono foi registrado por meio do uso de diários e os ciclos de atividade/repouso e claro/escuro por meio de actímetros. Observada uma associação indireta entre o uso de equipamentos eletrônicos e o aumento no consumo alimentar. A associação observada em relação ao uso dos equipamentos com a ingesta está mais amparada no atraso do início do sono que propicia o aumento observado da ingesta média na fase noturna. No longo prazo o atraso da fase do sono e a diminuição da sua duração pode gerar um desalinhamento na regulação da expressão dos padrões temporais de atividade/repouso e alimentação/jejum que pode alterar o padrão do comportamento alimentar / Electric energy used widely in domestic context is a recent phenomenon that incorporates temporal modulations on the expression of biological rhythms and behaviour, like food ingestion and sleep patterns. After popularization of electric energy, electronic technologies have been created and incorporated to our routines. Access to electric light can promote more flexibility on temporal organization of our activities which allow for an extension of the wake phase to later portions of the night. Thus, that situation could promote temporal challenges to the organisms, generated by oscillations of temporal signals, which may cause phase advances or delays in rhythmic events like feeding/fasting, rest/activity and metabolic functions. This study involved 27 university students between 18 to 30 years old (17 women; 10 men) where feeding and sleep behavior data were collected with feeding and sleep diaries; the rest/activity rhythm and the light/dark cycle data were collected with actimeters. The association observed in relation to the use of the electronic equipments with the food intake is supported by the delay of the beginning of rest that propitiates the increase of the average intake in the nocturnal phase. In the long term, the delay of the rest phase and the decrease of its duration can generate a misalignment in the regulation of the expression of the temporal patterns of rest/activity and feeding/fasting and thus change the temporal pattern of the feeding behavior

Social media is playing a significant role in our everyday life. New tools are emerging everyday and offer the users exciting opportunities. Not just ordinary people use social media.It became very popular among companies, politicians and government. But using social media does not guarantee one instant success and benefits. The right appliance of social media technologies can do wonders. Barack Obama brilliantly illustrated that during his presidential campaign in 2008.In 2012 social media technology was yet again at the heart of the Obama’s campaign. His challenger, Mitt Romney, also engaged digital technology into his campaigning process. However, the attention and participation Romney generated online was more humble compared to Obama, who yet again mastered the technology. This thesis studies the differences in social media use between the two campaigns and aims to find out how different use of social media can influence behavior and participation of the online audience. The study addresses the theory of communicative action, new social movements theory and agenda setting.

Cette thèse porte sur la relation entre communication et lutte contre le VIH/Sida en Afrique de l’Ouest, plus précisément au Niger. L’objet d’étude est appréhendé dans le champ des Sciences de l’Information et de la Communication, principalement dans le domaine de la « communication d’action et d’utilité sociétale ». Au Niger, la prévalence du VIH demeure faible : 0,7% (Enquête Démographique et de Santé du Niger, 2007). Mais les caractéristiques cumulées de ce pays révèlent un profil qui peut favoriser la propagation de la pandémie (pauvreté, freins socioculturels…). L’incidence du VIH est ainsi une question cruciale de santé publique dont la prévention est à l’heure actuelle la seule solution pour freiner la propagation.Nos travaux consistent d’abord à comprendre les enjeux communicationnels de cette prévention. La problématique questionne les pratiques des émetteurs (acteurs de prévention) qui ambitionnent de changer les comportements des récepteurs. Ensuite, la perspective structurante de ce travail pionnier au Niger est d’associer la communication à l’action, d’étudier d’une part le changement en actes associé au changement de significations et de valeurs et, d’autre part, l’institutionnalisation du changement. Le cadre théorique et méthodologique privilégié est celui du paradigme de la « communication engageante » (Joule, 2000 ; Bernard & Joule, 2004)- le passage des idées aux actes (et réciproquement)- pour combattre la pandémie du VIH/Sida. Enfin, nous étudions la notion de « communication instituante » (Joule & Bernard, 2005 ; Bernard, 2006)- le rôle des médias et des médiations pour instituer les changements en actes et les valeurs favorisant le passage de la responsabilité individuelle vers la responsabilité collective. / This Thesis is in relation between, communication, and the fight against HIV/AIDS in West Africa, precisely in Niger. The subject of this study is apprehended within the Science of Information and Communication field, mainly through the domain of “action of communication and societal utility”.In Niger, the prevalence of HIV stands low: 0, 7% (Health and Demographic survey in Niger, 2007). However, the cumulative characteristics of this country reveal a profile that could advantage the easy spread of the disease (poverty, socio cultural shortages…). The incidence of HIV remains a crucial problem for public health for which the prevention denotes to date the only way to stop the propagation of the disease. Firstly, our studies will involve the understanding of the communicational stakes of the disease prevention. The problematic will question the practices of the performers (those acting for prevention) which expect to change the behaviours of receptors. Secondly, the expected perspective of this work, pioneer in Niger, will be to link communication to action on the one hand, and on the other hand to study both the change in facts connected to the change in meanings and values and the implementation of this change. The theoretical and methodological background privileged is symbolized by the paradigm of the “binding communication” (Joule, 2000; Bernard & Joule, 2004) – going from ideas to facts (and reciprocally) – in order to fight against the HIV/AIDS disease. Finally, we will learn the notion of “establishing communication” (Joule & Bernard, 2005: Bernard, 2006) – the role of medias and mediations to found the changes in facts and values easing the passage from individual responsibility to collective responsibility.

L’automobile occupe une place fondamentale dans notre société, au point qu’on a pu parler de « civilisation de l’automobile ». En dépit des critiques qui lui sont régulièrement adressées, celle-ci n’a cessé de se renforcer, avec toujours davantage de voitures par adulte et une proportion croissante de déplacements effectués en voiture. Cependant, depuis le tournant du millénaire, on assiste à un retournement de tendance. Pour la première fois, la mobilité en voiture baisse dans les grandes agglomérations, tandis que la circulation automobile plafonne à l’échelle nationale. Cette évolution, du reste, n’est pas spécifique à la France mais s’observe dans l’ensemble des pays développés, une tendance parfois désignée sous le terme de « peak car (travel) ». Parmi les explications les plus convaincantes de ce retournement, figurent l’augmentation du prix du carburant, suivie de la récession de 2008. La volonté des ménages de maîtriser leurs budgets-temps de transport y contribue également, dans un contexte d’allongement des déplacements vers le travail et de dégradation des vitesses de déplacements. En outre, la diffusion de l’automobile se rapproche de la saturation. Si à long terme, la croissance du kilométrage moyen par adulte est indexée sur le taux de motorisation, cependant à moyen terme l’utilisation des véhicules fluctue en fonction du pouvoir d’achat énergétique, et un modèle basé sur ces deux variables suggère qu’on observerait une réaction normale à une augmentation exceptionnelle du prix du carburant. Les facteurs de croissance du taux de motorisation tiennent eux-mêmes principalement à la succession de générations de plus en plus motorisées, surtout chez les femmes, compte tenu d’un accès de plus en plus large au permis de conduire, à l’activité professionnelle, et d’une urbanisation de plus en plus diffuse, qui ont augmenté le besoin d’une seconde voiture. Pour modéliser l’auto-mobilité, on propose une approche emboîtée, individuelle et longitudinale, segmentée en fonction du genre. L’auto-mobilité peut en effet être vue au niveau individuel comme une succession de choix emboîtés, puisque la détention du permis conditionne l’accès à un véhicule personnel, de même que la motorisation conditionne l’usage d’un véhicule. L’avantage d’une approche longitudinale réside dans la possibilité de distinguer entre mesures d’hétérogénéité et de sensibilité, qui ne sont pas équivalentes. Pour chaque niveau de choix, l’approche est structurée autour d’une analyse de type âge-cohorte-période. Globalement, les taux de motorisation sont plus hétérogènes chez les femmes, un résultat qui est susceptible de recevoir une double interprétation, économique ou sociétale. On peut le voir en termes d’inégalités de genre. Mais il peut également s’interpréter comme le reflet d’un statut encore intermédiaire du second véhicule, dont l’opportunité serait davantage évaluée au regard des besoins et des contraintes réels du ménage. A l’inverse, l’usage des véhicules est à la fois plus élevé et plus hétérogène chez les hommes, compte tenu de la fonction collective du véhicule principal et des arbitrages internes aux ménages quant aux choix du lieu de résidence et des lieux de travail des conjoints. Pour finir, on estime à partir de modèles sur données de panel des effets marginaux et des élasticités par rapport au revenu, au prix du carburant et à la densité, qui sont ensuite comparées avec la littérature. Dans l’ensemble, les résultats sont cohérents avec l’analyse descriptive, ainsi qu’avec la littérature. Le modèle permet également de rendre compte du déclin tendanciel des élasticités, traduisant l’approche de la saturation. Pour finir, une évaluation a posteriori confirme l’opportunité d’une modélisation séquentielle, indiquant que les choix de motorisation sont indépendants des niveaux d’usage de la voiture. / Car ownership and use are a decisive part of our society, which was sometimes designed as the “civilization of the car”. Despite many critics, the car has become ever-more central in the modern way of life, with an ever-increasing number of cars per adult and proportion of trips realized by car. However, from the beginning of the millennium, there was a reversal in the trend towards ever-more car use. For the first time, the average number of daily trips realized by car has been falling down in French conurbations, and nationwide traffic by car is leveling off. This situation, nonetheless, is not specific to France but is common to many developed countries, and is often referred to as the “peak car (travel)”. The main explanations for such a downturn include rising fuel prices from the late 1990’s, followed by the recession in 2008, but also household’s willingness to control their travel time budgets, in a context of increasing commuting distances and reduced travel speeds. Besides, the diffusion of car ownership is approaching saturation. While on the long-run, average car travel per adult is indexed on motorization, mid-term fluctuations of average car use per vehicle are related to the energetic purchasing power, and a simple model based on these two variables is suggesting that the stagnation of car use from the 2000’s could be a reaction of a usual kind to an exceptional rise in fuel prices. The growth in motorization is itself principally caused by the follow-up of ever-more motorized generations, especially among women, given their increasing access to driving license, job participation and ever-more diffuse land use patterns, which have increased the need for a second car within households. In order to model auto-mobility, a nested, individual and longitudinal approach is implemented, segmented by gender. Auto-mobility can indeed be seen as a follow-up of nested choices, as driving license is necessary for holding a car, while access to a personal vehicle is itself required for car use. The advantage of a longitudinal approach consists in the ability to distinguish between measures of heterogeneity and sensitivity, which can be shown not to be equivalent. For every given level of choice, the approach is based on an age-cohort-period-type analysis. Motorization rates happen to be more heterogeneous among women, a result which is likely to receive an interpretation either of a social or economic nature. According to the first interpretation, it should be regarded as the illustration of gender inequalities. However, it could also be regarded as reflecting the still-intermediary status of the second vehicle, which opportunity is assessed depending upon household’s specific needs and constraints. On the contrary, car use is at the same time higher and more heterogeneous among men, given the collective function of the first vehicle and household’s internal trade-offs in residential and job choices. Finally, average partial effects and elasticities are estimated from panel data models, either with respect to income, fuel prices or density. Generally, results are consistent with the descriptive part, as with the literature. The model also rationally gives account of the decreasing trend for elasticities, which was often noticed in the literature and reflects the approach of saturation. As a conclusion, an a posteriori evaluation of the assumption of a sequential decision process is made, confirming that choices of motorization and car use are mutually independent.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the frequency and type of bullying behaviours experienced in a Pretoria private high school in the past six months. The aim was to determine how factors such as gender, age and ethnicity influenced the frequency and type of bullying experienced. The different types of bullying behaviours were categorised into physical, indirect, verbal and cyber-bullying. A quantitative method was applied and a self-report questionnaire was administered to 367 learners ranging from ages 12 – 18 (Grade 8 to Grade 12). The results of the study indicated that indirect bullying (such as malicious gossip) was the highest form of bullying reported in the study and occurred equally throughout the grades. However a high amount of bullying in all categories was found in the grade 9 group. Females reported higher frequencies of indirect bullying than males but no differences were found with regards to gender and the other types of bullying. No differences were found between the ethnic groups and physical violence as well as cyber-bullying. Caucasians seem to experience higher frequencies in bullying behaviours when it came to indirect bullying compared to African and Asian learners. Indian learners were also more prone to experience indirect bullying than Asians. Caucasians were also more likely to experience verbal bullying than Asian learners. It was found that racial bullying might occur in the school but that it does so at a minimal level. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Psychology / unrestricted

The thesis aims to present a case for a rethinking of the paradigmatic frames underpinning food marketing control policy and research. In support of its contention, it reports on the methodological strategies, evidence outcomes and knowledge translation contributions of a series of research projects. The projects were commissioned by national and international policy makers during the period 2009-2015 in support of responsible food marketing policy development. They were conceptualised, developed and interpreted through participatory and iterative research planning processes. The research drew on theories and constructs from multiple disciplines. Public health, marketing and policy science contributed most, but information economics and management theories also informed research design and analysis and interpretation of findings. Its key generalizable findings can be summarised as follows: • The identification of a fragmented but convergent pool of evidence indicating contemporary food and beverage marketing is an interactive, dynamic phenomenon. • The identification of a fragmented but convergent pool of evidence demonstrating it significantly impacts sociocultural determinants of food behaviours. • The generation of evidence demonstrating a gap between the strategic aims of responsible marketing policy regimes and the inherent capacity of implemented interventions to constrain marketing’s food environment impacts. • The generation of evidence demonstrating that critical re-appraisal of food marketing policy research assumptions and preconceptions is a strategy supportive of policy innovation. • The generation of evidence that research intended to support real world multi-stakeholder policy development processes requires additional skills to those established and recognised as central to high quality research. These include the ability to engage with dynamic and politicised policy processes and their public communications challenges. • The generation of evidence that can inform future independent benchmark standard for responsible marketing development initiatives. • The generation of evidence that can inform future research on designing and developing policy that is ‘future proof’ and targets marketing’s sociocultural food environment impacts. Its most significant knowledge translation contributions have been: • Support for the WHO Set of Recommendations on the Marketing of Foods and Non-alcoholic Beverages to Children (subsequently endorsed at the 2010 World Health Assembly and the 2011 United Nations General Assembly). • Participatory research contributions to the Scottish Government’s responsible marketing standard development initiative (PAS2500). • Supporting the planning and development of the Scottish Government’s Supporting Healthy Choices Policy initiative. • Knowledge exchange with policy makers and stakeholders engaged in a scoping and prioritisation initiative commissioned by the United Kingdom’s Department of Health (An analysis of the regulatory and voluntary landscape concerning the marketing and promotion of food and drink to children). • Supporting responsible marketing policy agendas targeted to the engagement of a broad mix of stakeholders in innovative policy development processes. • Supporting policy makers’ efforts to increase popular support for stronger, more effective responsible marketing policy controls. The thesis therefore aims to present evidence that the programme of research presented here has made useful and original contributions to evidence and knowledge on contemporary food marketing and its impacts on food behaviours and the food environment. It aims to build on this by demonstrating how this evidence informed and supported policy development. Through this the thesis aims to support its case that a rethinking of food marketing policy research assumptions and conceptions can expand and enrich the evidence base as well as real world policy innovation.

Introduction : Seulement 7% des Canadiens de 17 ans et moins pratiquent 60 minutes d’activité physique modérée à vigoureuse quotidiennement. La majorité dépasse le temps d’écran quotidien recommandé de deux heures. Plusieurs études transversales indiquent que les deux comportements évoluent indépendamment et ne seraient que faiblement corrélés. Objectifs et hypothèses : Les objectifs de ce mémoire est d’identifier des trajectoires d’activité physique et des trajectoires de temps devant l’écran durant l’adolescence, par sexe, et de décrire la distribution des individus selon l’appartenance simultanée aux deux trajectoires. Nos hypothèses stipulent que des trajectoires différentes seront observées pour les deux sexes et que les deux comportements ne s’influenceront pas. Méthodes : Les données proviennent d’une étude prospective de 1294 adolescents de la région de Montréal, recrutés en 1999 à l’âge de 12-13 ans. Des questionnaires ont été remplis en classe à chaque 3 mois, de la première à la cinquième année du secondaire. Des modélisations de trajectoires de groupe ont identifié des trajectoires d’activité physique et de temps devant l’écran. Une modélisation de trajectoires jointes a rapporté des probabilités d’appartenance aux trajectoires des deux variables. Résultats : Cinq groupes ont été identifiés pour les trajectoires d’activité physique pour les deux sexes. Quatre groupes ont été identifiés pour les garçons et 5 pour les filles concernant le temps passé devant l’écran. 57% des garçons et 46% des filles ont fait des activités physiques pendant 6-7 jours par semaine, durant toute l’adolescence. Toutes les trajectoires de temps devant l’écran accumulent plus de deux heures d’écran quotidiennement. Les probabilités conditionnelles suggèrent une relation entre l’activité physique et le temps devant l’écran. Conclusion : Le développement de l’activité physique et du temps devant l’écran est hétérogène durant l’adolescence. Leur coévolution doit être prise en compte par les professionnels en santé publique. / Introduction: Only 7% of Canadians age ≤ 17 years engage in the recommended 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA) daily. Further, most youth surpass the recommended screen time maximum of 2-hours daily. Many cross-sectional studies suggest that PA and screen time are only weakly correlated and that they evolve independently. Objectives and hypotheses: The first objective of this MSc thesis was to model PA and screen time trajectories during adolescence, in boys and girls. The second objective was to describe the distribution of participants according to concurrent membership in the two sets of trajectories. Our hypotheses were that trajectories differ by sex and that PA trajectories are independent of screen time trajectories. Methods: Data were drawn from an ongoing longitudinal study of 1294 adolescents age 12-13 years recruited in 1999-2000 in 10 Montreal-area high schools. Self-report questionnaires were completed during class time, every 3 months from grade 7 to 11. Group-based trajectory modeling identified PA and screen time trajectories. Joint trajectory models provided membership probabilities in both PA and screen time trajectories. Results: Five groups of PA trajectories were identified in both sexes. Four and five screen time trajectory groups were identified in boys and girls, respectively. Half (57%) of boys and 46% of girls engaged in PA 6-7 days weekly during the entire 5-year follow-up. All screen time trajectories were above the recommended 2-hours daily. Conditional probabilities suggested weak associations between PA and screen time. Conclusion: Patterns of PA and screen time are heterogeneous during adolescence. Their co- evolution may need to be considered by public health practitioners.

The mobility of students has increased dramatically in the past decades which primarily is a consequence of globalization (Ninnes & Hellstén, 2005). Many higher education institutions (HEIs) around the world have responded to the global educational trend by actively recruiting students from abroad, with the incentive of maintaining a competitive position on the global, knowledge-based market (Knight, 2004). Simultaneously, an increasing number of students have responded to the expanded opportunities which have become available, aspiring to secure the best education to facilitate their path into a well-remunerated career (Waters & Brooks, 2011). By employing a qualitative research approach, this study explores how international degree-seeking students undertaking engineering studies in Swedish HE, take on their career development within a global framework. The findings are compared and analyzed in order to provide further insights into the career trajectories of engineering students from different countries. The findings suggest that the participants in the study have employed a large degree of agency and independence in advancing their career development further. Moreover, it has also been indicated that they, as global professionals, uphold a flexible stance towards future career opportunities, regardless of where in the world these would be located. Considering the increasing numbers of international students that occupy Swedish HEIs, the study concludes that further attention needs to be paid to gain further insights into the realities of this student population, both to increase our understanding of how they respond to the forces of globalization and to safeguard that career services address the real career needs of this population.