Master of Public Health - MPH / A matched case-control study was carried out to identify the factors associated with the nutritional status of children in Livingstone district, Zambia. A trained field researcher collected data on demographic, feeding practices and socio-economic factors in matched groups of underweight children and normal weight children from the mothers/caregivers of the children. Interviews, using a structured pre-tested questionnaire, were used to obtain the data. All children aged from six to fifty-nine months admitted at Livingstone General Hospital during the months of October to December, 2003 with a weight for age below –2SD from the median of the reference population formed the underweight children (cases). The total was 47 children. The cases were then matched according to sex and age to 47 normal weight children attending the under five clinic at Livingstone General Hospital during the same months, with a weight for age above –2SD from the median of the reference population (controls). The final sample was 94 children. Weights were recorded using the same scale in the outpatient’s department prior to admission and during the under five clinic session. Interviews then took place in a separate room after the clinic nurse had attended them. A separate visit was then made to the homes of the children on a different day. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to measure strengths of associations. Results revealed that the basic causes of underweight were the poor economic state of the country, unfavorable policies and insufficient government support in the areas of health, education, agriculture, housing and employment. Underlying causes were inadequate access to food, inadequate care of children, poor access to health services and unhealthy living environments, while immediate causes were poor food intake and disease. Low educational and literacy levels of the mothers/caregivers, unemployment and lack of sufficient finances to access basic necessities such as food, housing and health contributed to underweight. / South Africa

Magister Scientiae - Msc (Statistics) / Contraception is said to be one of the vital determinants of fertility (Bongaarts, 1978). African nations, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa have a history of high fertility levels and low contraceptive use. However, contraceptive methods have been used one way or another throughout human history, although, due to improvements, these methods have evolved over the years. In Namibia, there tend to be a huge gap between women's knowledge of methods of contraception and usage thereof. For instance as per NDHS survey of 2000, 97 percent of married women knew of a contraceptive method, while 38 percent utilised them. This study aims at investigating knowledge and usage of contraceptives among women in union of reproductive age in an independent Namibia, 10 years after independence between 1992 and 2000. Socio-economic and demographic factors affecting contraceptive usage are examined in this study to determine their significance. / South Africa

Magister Curationis - MCur / The aim of this study was to describe the demographic and socio-economic factors influencing infant feeding practices in the Amathola district, South Africa. A survey was chosen as the design method and a structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding the socio-economic and demographic factors and related infant feeding choices. The study population consisted of 100 women with infants up to the age of 14 weeks, who brought their infant for immunization at the selected community health clinic (the largest clinic in the Mdantsane area). Infants up to the age of 14 weeks were used because all the visits up to 14 weeks coincide with the local immunization program, and according to WHO guidelines all infants should be exclusively breastfed until they reach the age of 6 months of age. The study found that there are many families in the Mdantsane area that suffer from poor conditions and inadequate services such as a lack of electricity, working taps or flush toilets within their dwelling, which in turn has an impact on infant feeding practices. It was found that even in poor demographic and socio-economic conditions, formula feeding is still the chosen feeding practice for the majority of mothers. / South Africa

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / The present study was conceived to examine the trend and factors affecting fertility in Nigeria and Guinea. Fertility has declined by about nineteen percent in Nigeria between 1982 and 1999. In the same period it has declined by five percent in Guinea. The decline is observed in data from censuses and surveys. Studies have reported that fertility transition is in progress in most Sub-Sahara African countries (Bongaarts 2008; Guttmacher 2008), Nigeria (Feyisetan and Bankole 2002) and Guinea (measuredhs 2007). Studies and surveys done in some regions and among ethnic groups suggest that fertility is declining in Nigeria (Caldwell et al. 1992) and Guinea (measuredhs 2007). However, these studies and surveys are devoid of national representativeness as they are localized in specific regions or selected ethnic groups. Thus, they cannot be used as a national reference. The trend of the total fertility rate (TFR) from the three consecutive Demographic and Health Surveys in Nigeria did not show any meaningful decrease over time. In the same vein, no evidence of fertility decline was observed in Guinea from the Demographic and Health Surveys. The claim that fertility is declining in these two countries which assures the funding organizations that Family Planning programs are successful is beyond the scope of the present study. Based on Demographic and Health Surveys the claim that fertility is decreasing in Nigeria may be misleading, whereas in Guinea fertility has shown stability. This suggests that while the factors affecting fertility may be similar, their impacts differ from country to country. / South Africa

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The identification of the association between socio-demographic characteristics and HIV was found to be a useful tool in determining the important risk factors in Sudan. In this study, the relationship(s) between HIV test results and the demographic characteristics such as gender, age, residence area, employment, education, marital status and religion in Omdurman, Sudan were investigated. The data were collected from patients visiting Omdurman National Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Centre from April 2005 to April 2006. The study sample was represented by 320 patients. Tables were used in the data analysis to present the distribution of the participants by the result of HIV test and demographic factors; odds ratios were also obtained from these tables. The Chi-square test was used to test the association between each socio-demographic factor and the result of HIV test; the Pvalue obtained from this test was measured at a significance level of 0.05. Finally, the joint effect of all demographic factors on HIV test results was tested using logistic regression. A significant association between socio-demographic characteristics and HIV test results was observed. It showed a higher incidence rate in females, middle-aged, married, employed and Christian individuals. HIV was also found to be higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The lower incident rate was observed among educated individuals.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This thesis aims to explore Indian forced migration to the Cape Colony from 1658 to 1834. The forgotten diaspora‘ of its title refers to the first Indians who had come to the shores of South Africa, long before the arrival—between 1860 and 1911—of the indentured Indians. This diaspora has been forgotten, partially because these migrants came as slaves. The author uses data extracted from the newly transcribed Master of the Orphan Chamber (MOOC) series and slave transfers which are housed in the Western Cape Provincial Archives and Records Service (WCARS). The Cape colonial data is considered among the best in the world. Earlier historians such as Victor de Kock, Anna Böeseken, Frank Bradlow and Margaret Cairns, have made us aware of their existence primarily through Transportenkennis and Schepenkennis (transport and shipping information) documents in the Deeds Registry. Not nearly enough, however, is known about these Indian slaves, especially about those who arrived between 1731 and 1834. These lacunae include the number of arrivals; their sex ratios; ages and origins; and the circumstances under which they came. This thesis aims to construct a census of Indian slaves brought to the Cape from 1658 to 1834—along the lines of Philip Curtin's aggregated census of the Trans- Atlantic slave trade, but based on individual case level data coded directly from primary sources. This is the first time the size of the creole population born at the Cape will be established.

The diploma thesis deals with the development and current situation in the market of preschool care and basic education in the district Praha-západ. The thesis solves whether this is a national or regional problem. For further investigation is elected the district Praha-západ, in which it is decided whether there is a problem with insufficient capacity in educational establishments. By analysing the development and the current situation together with structured interviews with staff of municipal and municipal authorities and questionnaire surveys of the inhabitants living in this region, it proves this problem. At the end of the thesis several proposals of solutions are provided, which are inspired by specific municipalities or towns of this district.

The aim of this thesis is to analyze the current public transport accessibility of the city Kaplice and suggest improvements for further functioning. The first theoretical part explains the used transport and demographic terms and methods as well as the characteristics of the city itself. The second analytical part analyzes the city public transport situation and related demographic variables. The emphasis is on the evaluation of the current situation in all modes of transport and the combination of demographic and transport characteristics in favor of creating an overal framework. For this reason the SWOT analysis was carried out. At the end of the thesis the population projection is used to estimate future developments in this area and outline possible solutions and recommendations for optimal and efficient public transport in the town.

Aim To determine the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of patients accessing antiretroviral treatment, in the public sector in Zambia. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional survey, using a pre-structured interview questionnaire, with patients on antiretroviral treatment. A total of 200 patients receiving antiretroviral treatment at the 2 national referral hospitals and seven provincial hospitals providing ART were included in the study Data was analyzed using STATA version 8. Analysis was by frequency tables and summary statistics. Results The majority of the patients on antiretroviral treatment were females at 61.5 percent. Most of the patients were in the age group 40 - 44 years old. Most of the patients were married followed by those who were widowed, who were predominantly female. The net monthly income was generally low for most patients and the forty thousand Kwacha monthly contributions for ARVs was high for most patients. Higher levels of education were associated with increased access to antiretroviral treatment. Conclusion and Recommendations There were more females than males accessing antiretroviral treatment in the public sector in Zambia. The majority of patients have a low income and the forty thousand Kwacha monthly contributions towards ARVs was high for most patients. It is recommended that antiretroviral treatment be provided for free or at a highly subsidized cost and also that the Ministry of Health increases the ART centers if the goal to put 100,000 on treatment by the end of 2005 is to be achieved. / Dissertation (MPH)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH) / Unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH) / Unrestricted