Thesis (MTech (Biomedical Technology))--Peninsula Technikon, Cape Town, 2004 / Introduction and Background: The prevalence of obesity amongst both the adult and paediatric population has assumed almost epidemic proportions in many developed and developing countries. A recent study by the Medical Research Council found that a disturbing 20% of all South African children could be categorized as being obese. Limited data is currently available on the prevalence of obesity in South African children, particularly from the previously disadvantaged population. Given the global epidemic of paediatric obesity, hypertension and type-2-diabetes and the limited available data relating to obese South African children, further studies to enhance the understanding of the risk factors associated with the epidemic are imperative. Aims and Objectives of the Study: The objectives of the study were to: 1. Determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst leamers attending schools in the communities of Belhar, Delft and Mfuleni within the City of Cape Town, South Africa. 2. Determine the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension amongst learners attending school in the communities of Belhar, Delft and Mfuleni in the City of Cape Town. 3. To investigate the association of overweight and obesity with diabetes and hypertension in children and adolescents, and • To determine the risk factors associated with overweight, obesity, diabetes and hypertension Sample Population: Excluding learners that did not meet the inclusion criteria, the final sample consisted of 338 learners aged 10 - 16 years attending the government funded primary and secondary schools and residing in the target communities.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The street child that is driven by circumstances to Jive outside the supportive structure of the family, is on his own. He doesn't have the educational developmental opportunities that children who grow up in families and societies do. He finds himself in a unique educational and living environment. From an educational psychologist point of view, this environment is abnormal. It is therefore a great challenge for the educational psychologist to try and avoid or resolve negative effects of the child's living environment. The aim of the study is to investigate and describe the experiences of the Hillbrow street child, as well as to determine guidelines for supporting these children. An exploratory-, descriptive-, contextual- and qualitative study was done, with the aim of gaining insight and understanding into the life of the street child in Hillbrow as well as his experiences of his situation. The phenomenological interview was used to gather data. The interviews were recorded on a tape recorder and later transcribed. The purposive sample consists of four street children who were selected specifically for the study. The data was processed according to a combination of the Giorgi's & Kerlinger's methods. The results obtained from the interviews were placed in four categories. These categories are: The street child's continuous struggle to survive, his need for a 'normal child life', his inability to accept responsibility and the presence of a normative awareness within the street child. Guidelines for supportive action towards street children by the educational psychologist are discussed in regard to the four categories. These categories are interdependent, as work in one category inevitably influences the other categories. For this reason the educational psychologist's supportive action needs to be holistic to include all four categories. In conclusion it is clear that the experiences of the street child are multi-faceted. In general it appears that the street child has many limitations and difficulties which he experiences, and that input by an educational psychologist can have meaningful influence in his life.

M.Ed. (Multicultural Education) / With the emphasis of segregation, alienation between population groups in South Africa has come into being. The school thus has a duty as regards the child's civic development and can play a roll in counteracting such alienation between population groups. Education means, amongst other things, to guide pupils towards social interaction and better intergroup relationships. To successfully incorporate social interaction and better intergroup relationships into our multi-cultural society, a better concept regarding individual and cultural differences is necessary. The lack of intergroup contact and the existence of prejudices and stereotypes, especially among juveniles necessitate pilot surveys to establish strategies for changing and counteracting negative and racist attitudes. A great deal of literature indicates that stereotypes and prejudices can be changed by refining information regarding the stereotypes and prejudices. As such, the contact hypothesis is one of the methods employed to bring about these changes. The information which is obtained from other groups and individuals, may be used to change stereotypes and prejudices. However, inter group contact alone is not sufficient to improve inter group relationships and stereotypes and counter prejudices permanently. Consequently, in this short study, research has been initiated as to the possibility of breaking down and counteracting prejudice and stereotypes by issuing direct and indirect instruction on maintained negative attitudes, usages and habits. Group discussions were held to provide more information on the cultural customs of two groups, and roll-play was employed to promote better mutual understanding. Intergroup contact was arranged between pupils of a black primary school and a white primary school. During the visits the pupils acted according to a preset programme. Before any contact or instruction took place, a pre-test in the form of a semantic differentiated scale was conducted to determine the groups' prejudices and stereotypes. At the conclusion of all activities, this assessment was once ageing made with both groups and any change of attitude could be determined. Although stereotypes offered resistance, a clear modification took constant place in the pupils' prejudices and stereotypes. The teaching strategies employed to bring about a greater knowledge and even appreciation of other groups, helped to produce these changes.

Background: Obesity is a chronic and complex metabolic disease with associated comorbidities. The prevalence of excess body weight has risen substantially in both affluent developed countries and in developing countries worldwide. In 2008 it was estimated that 43 million children under the age of five were overweight, with developing countries accounting for 75 percent of these rates. Furthermore, with 75 percent of these children developing adulthood obesity, mortality rates due to obesity will continue to increase unless preventative interventions are implemented. Objective: To identify the prevalence of obesity and overweight among urban seven to 10 years old children in Quintile five English-medium schools in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan municipality in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Design and Methods: A quantitative descriptive one-way cross-sectional research design utilising random sampling was used. A total of 713 children participated in the study. A onceoff survey consisted of anthropometrical assessment of height, weight and waist circumference. To classify children into weight categories, the International Obesity Task Force cut-off values were used. A validated physical activity – related behaviour questionnaire was completed to explore and identify the daily level of physical activity expressed in MET values. Using one-way ANOVA’s and Chi-squared tests, significance between variables was analysed. Results: Overweight prevalence was 20.9 percent and obesity prevalence was 9.8 percent. A significant relationship was found between obesity and overweight levels for gender, age, ethnicity and culture. No significant relationship was found for obesity and overweight prevalence and physical activity. Conclusion: Results highlight the rising prevalence of obesity and overweight amongst urban children from affluent primary schools and the necessity for further research to explore sociocultural factors that impact on obesogenic behaviour in South African youth.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, (South Africa), in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts in Research Psychology degree, 2004. / The purpose of the study was to examine certain aspects of educational and occupational development in adolescent females. Specifically, the aims were: (1) to ascertain the nature of occupational aspirations of black adolescent girls, (2) to determine the relationship between black adolescents self esteem and occupational aspirations, and (3) to find out whether parents' level of education has an influence on black adolescents' occupational aspirations. Subjects were 161 black girls, aged between 14 and 23 years, from two schools (one a private school and the other a government school) in the township of Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria. The overall results on the educational aspirations of this sample of adolescent girls indicated that these girls intend to graduate from, high school and achieve higher levels of education beyond high school. Occupational aspirations were assessed on the basis of their training requirements, on the first choice of occupation, which the students wanted more than the others; a majority of them aspired to occupations necessitating a degree. The type of schooling did play a role in influencing occupational aspirations, it is thus important to acknowledge that socioeconomic factor is the important variable , since socioeconomic influences which children go to public schools and which go to private schools. It was interesting to find that individual value for educational aspirations and social approval for educational aspirations were significantly related, and that the individual value for occupational aspirations and social approval for occupational aspirations were significant. The t-test for equality of means showed that the government school girls were slightly higher than the private school girls on school ability, while the private school girls were significantly higher on occupational aspirations than the government school girls

Street children are present in every metropolitan city around the world. Their presence has provoked varied responses from academics, the media and others. However, despite the proliferation of responses, current solutions are not always commensurate with the resources expended in this area. Are current responses a part of the problem or a part of the solution? Following the precedence established by other researchers and calls for greater reflexivity, this study attempts to provide a critical analysis of selected South African writings on and about street children. Particular focus is accorded to how selected academic and popular writings construct street children. The specific aim is to facilitate an examination of the underlying discourses that inform South African writings on street children. The role that academic and popular writings fulfil in selectively maintaining the status quo over which their authors sometimes voice disapproval is also examined. Wherever possible the origins of such discourses and the powers that maintain them are referred to. The extent to which the discourses evident in writings on South African street children converge with the dominant discourses present in developmental psychology as a whole are reviewed. The complimentary techniques of transformative inquiry and discourse analysis are at the heart of the methodology in this study. As an analytical tool discourse analysis is used to deepen current understanding of perceptions of street children. Discourse analysis helps to chart the underlying discourses drawn on in texts and shows how writings have influenced, intentionally or otherwise, the perceptions of subjects of research. Transformative enquiry as a significant · complimentary, albeit implicit, feature of discourse analysis enables a reflection on the research process itself. Four main discourses are discussed, each of which is centred around several sub-discourses. The first discourse, "He who pays the piper calls the tune" involves an objectification of street children, conveying negative' images of street children. The second discourse, "St. Jude the Patron Saint of Lost Causes" is rooted in the ideas of hopelessness, helplessness, victimology and ubiquitousness. The third discourse, "natured versus nurtured" is located in ideas of biological determinism within which street children are described as bestial, abnormally sexual, inherently racially inferior and unresponsive to initiatives designed to provide shelter for them. The fourth discourse, "Us and them cum us against them" arises from ideas that view street children as inherently different to mainstream children and adults, thereby pitting street children against society at large and representing them as enemies. These four interrelated discourses ultimately converge to produce both enabling and constraining effects that are sometimes contradictory in nature. Discourses intended to render street children visible sometimes ironically make them and their plight invisible. The study is concluded with discussions of methodological limitations, suggestions for future investigation and the pyscho-emotive shifts I experienced during the research process. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Street children are present in every metropolitan city around the world. Their presence has provoked varied responses from academics, the media and others. However, despite the proliferation of responses, current solutions are not always commensurate with the resources expended in this area. Are current responses a part of the problem or a part of the solution? Following the precedence established by other researchers and calls for greater reflexivity, this study attempts to provide a critical analysis of selected South African writings on and about street children. Particular focus is accorded to how selected academic and popular writings construct street children. The specific aim is to facilitate an examination of the underlying discourses that inform South African writings on street children. The role that academic and popular writings fulfil in selectively maintaining the status quo over which their authors sometimes voice disapproval is also examined. Wherever possible the origins of such discourses and the powers that maintain them are referred to. The extent to which the discourses evident in writings on South African street children converge with the dominant discourses present in developmental psychology as a whole are reviewed. The complimentary techniques of transformative inquiry and discourse analysis are at the heart of the methodology in this study. As an analytical tool discourse analysis is used to deepen current understanding of perceptions of street children. Discourse analysis helps to chart the underlying discourses drawn on in texts and shows how writings have influenced, intentionally or otherwise, the perceptions of subjects of research. Transformative enquiry as a significant · complimentary, albeit implicit, feature of discourse analysis enables a reflection on the research process itself. Four main discourses are discussed, each of which is centred around several sub-discourses. The first discourse, "He who pays the piper calls the tune" involves an objectification of street children, conveying negative' images of street children. The second discourse, "St. Jude the Patron Saint of Lost Causes" is rooted in the ideas of hopelessness, helplessness, victimology and ubiquitousness. The third discourse, "natured versus nurtured" is located in ideas of biological determinism within which street children are described as bestial, abnormally sexual, inherently racially inferior and unresponsive to initiatives designed to provide shelter for them. The fourth discourse, "Us and them cum us against them" arises from ideas that view street children as inherently different to mainstream children and adults, thereby pitting street children against society at large and representing them as enemies. These four interrelated discourses ultimately converge to produce both enabling and constraining effects that are sometimes contradictory in nature. Discourses intended to render street children visible sometimes ironically make them and their plight invisible. The study is concluded with discussions of methodological limitations, suggestions for future investigation and the pyscho-emotive shifts I experienced during the research process. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions street children have about the most important referents in their life worlds and to propose guidelines to their helpers on the most appropriate intervention. The street children's perceptions of their families, schools, society, peers and themselves were examined through a literature study on the phenomenon of street children and their intervention and, an empirical study consisting of a questionnaire survey and case studies. It was found that the street children generally perceived themselves and these referents negatively, which can be related to experiences of severe physical, emotional and social deprivation. These perceptions influence their involvement with all referents in their lives negatively, as their main tendencies in response to problematic situations are flight, avoidance and withdrawal. Guidelines given to their schools, social-and care-workers, and educational psychologists focused on inter- and intra-personal areas of development. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Research on how children learn to behave in gendered ways has focused on a „top-down‟ process of socialisation which positions children as passive recipients of gender norms of the societies they inhabit. In contrast, this ethnographic study explores gender as constructed and experienced by children themselves with a specific focus on play as a means through which social identities are produced. This study focuses on children between the ages of six and ten and explores how they construct and experience being „boys‟ and being „girls‟ through play in a township primary school near Durban. This research is influenced by the emerging perspective in academic ways of thinking about childhood; identified by Prout and James (1997) as the „New Sociology of Childhood‟ (NSC). Departing from the traditional socialisation ways of thinking about children‟s social worlds from the perspectives of adults, the NSC views children as active agents in society whose social lives, behaviours and relationships are worthy of study in their own right. In this study, I engage with children‟s agency by adopting a critical child-centred methodological approach to explore symbolic meanings the young boys and girls in the study attach to play. In adopting this research approach, this study generates new understandings about ways in which South African boys and girls in the study construct and experience schooling and play. Findings raise various implications for ways of working with children, both in research and in education, in ways which engages with their own constructions of the stereotypes of masculinity and femininity through play. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nie beskikbaar

The Integrated Nutrition Programme (INP) was implemented in 1995 to target child malnutrition in South Africa. This study assessed the impact of the INP on child malnutrition by province and age group using secondary data. Data from three national nutrition surveys, conducted in 1994, 1999 and 2005, were used to describe trends in child stunting, underweight, wasting, vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiency. The relationship between the prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in prenatal women and child nutritional status; challenges and constraints to implementing the INP at provincial level; and government responses to nutrition recommendations by lead experts in the 1994 and 1999 surveys were also investigated. Child nutritional status varied across provinces. In some provinces such as the Northern Cape, stunting, underweight and wasting remained consistently high. Stunting decreased in the Eastern Cape, but rates of wasting increased between 1994 and 2005. On the other hand, Gauteng and the Western Cape generally had lower rates of malnutrition compared to the other provinces. This may be due to these provinces being the most economically active in the country thus more opportunities for employment and higher purchasing power of foods rich in micronutrients. By 2005, vitamin A deficiency had doubled in most provinces despite mandatory food fortification being implemented in 2003. KwaZulu-Natal had the highest rates of vitamin A deficiency, while Limpopo had the highest rates of iron deficiency. By 2005, malnutrition had decreased in children aged seven to nine years, but had increased in those aged one to three years. There was a significant positive correlation (p<0.01) between the prevalence of HIV in prenatal women and vitamin A deficiency nationally. The prevalence of HIV in prenatal women was positively correlated (p<0.05) with rates of wasting in children aged one to three years. Limited skills, inadequate monitoring and evaluation, and limited infrastructure were common challenges and constraints to implementing the INP at provincial level. The effect of HIV on human resources and the higher demands of HIV infected patients also posed a challenge to provinces as they implemented the INP. Government responded to most recommendations made by nutrition experts. Supplementation,food fortification, growth monitoring and nutrition promotion programmes were implemented. Based on the data, it would appear that INP activities targeted at school-going children were more effective than those targeting children under-five. Although food fortification was implemented in 2003, the vitamin A content of fortified products might not have met legislative requirements. Additionally, because vitamin A is unstable to heat and light, if vitamin A fortified foods are cooked or stored this may also influence the bioavailability of vitamin A. Maternal HIV status might have attenuated child nutrition outcomes due to the negative effect of HIV on related health conditions such as child caring and feeding practices. Some of the challenges and constraints at provincial level might have negatively affected the implementation of the INP and consequently its impact. Although government responded to most recommendations made by nutrition experts, ongoing monitoring and evaluation of child nutritional status were not adequately done, which might have also negatively affected INP outcomes. In addition, factors in the macro-environment such as food inflation and access to basic sanitation, could have lessened the impact of the INP on child malnutrition. Interventions directed at malnutrition in children under-five need to be prioritised. There needs to be rigorous monitoring of micronutrient content, especially vitamin A, of fortified foods. Future studies need to include assessment of nutritional status in HIV affected and infected children to help identify specific needs and develop appropriate policies. Frequent nutrition surveillance to assess key child malnutrition indicators is required. / Thesis (M.Sc.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.