The purpose of this study was to find out problems encountered by Foskor Mine workers in Phalaborwa with the use of personal protective equipment and also to find out how these problems can be prevented or solved. A quantitative research study was done using a questionnaire as a data gathering tool on workers who are exposed to occupational injuries and illnesses and who use personal protective equipment for their protection. The findings revealed that even though workers were using personal protective equipment they still got occupational injuries and illnesses. They also had problems with their protective equipment like incompatible types of personal protective equipment, such as weight where heavy personal protective equipment like boots were issued and very hot or cold personal protective equipment incompatible with the temperature of the environment. Some personal protective equipment like gloves were of a wrong size and caused allergy. In some instances unavailability of or unsuitable personal protective equipment posed challenges to these workers. / Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)

This qualitative study focuses on the experiences of adults with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), a neuromuscular condition, and explores what living with this disease encompasses. The study is structured around two fundamental research questions that amount to people's experiences regarding how (in which areas) the disease affects them, and how they continuously deal with it. In order to address the research questions, data gathered from participants was qualitatively analysed, using grounded theory methodology. The study culminated in the formulation of a substantive grounded theory as to how affected people manage the disease's manifestations in order to optimise their continuous adaptation and well-being. A tripartite of concerns comprised the core concern, whereas the basic social psychological process of engaging with CMT emerged as the core strategy used by affected people to deal with the concerns. The core's three sub processes constituted three mostly sequential stages that CMT-affected people pass through in their adaptation to the disease. The identified theory and existing stage models of adaptation to chronic illnesses and disabilities were juxtaposed and discussed. The three stages were compared to and integrated with the relevant literature. These actions revealed that there are a number of new formulations and processes contained in all three stages, and that the first and last stages (orientating and optimising) are themselves unique. It emerged that there is no theoretical end-point to the adaptation process, but that a relative saturation point amounted to a variant of an outcome, called qualified wellness. For most, the core strategy was successful in resolving the main concern. A few, however, still experienced fear and agony about inheritance and dependency issues. This study contributes, via the route of knowledge and insight empowerment, to the well-being of people with CMT, including those who are struggling but do not know that they have this disease. Broadening of insight may also benefit medical help professionals and streamline service delivery. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

The objectives of this study were to establish the effectiveness of chlorpyrifos in suppressing H. armigera population in oranges and to determine the effect chlorpyrifos had on the health of farm pesticide operators. Experiments showed that by applying chlorpyrifos on orange trees, H. armigera larvae population was suppressed significantly. High fruit yields were realized from trees that were sprayed with chlorpyrifos. Visual observation of personnel involved in pesticide related duties, revealed that judicious use of pesticides was not practiced by farm workers in all three farms. Data analysis from questionnaires, health records and interviews proved that farm workers suffered from illnesses that were pesticide related. It was mainly those farm workers in the age group of 31 to 35 years who suffered the most from pesticide related illnesses. / Agriculture and Life Sciences / M. Sc. (Agriculture)

The aim of this study was to determine how nurses manage the nutritional care of children under the age of five years at the primary healthcare level. A quantitative approach with an explorative descriptive design was used. A self-administered questionnaire and was used to collect data. The population was 34 professional nurses working in the child health sections of 16 clinics, all of whom were accessible, but one did not respond. Ten out of the target population were also observed using an observational checklist. Findings show lack of proper implementation of Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) guidelines and incorrect use of the Road-to-Health booklet. Secondly, the nurses at the child healthcare section had a high workload or had little experience in child care. The need for more emphasis on nutrition during IMCI training and the re-orientation of nurses on the optimal use of the Road-to-Health booklet were identified. / Master of Public Health (MPH) / Health Studies

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Food Science and Technology, Durban University of Technology, 2015. / Listeria monocytogenes have been implicated as a public health concern worldwide. The study explored the survival of non-adapted, heat adapted and chlorine adapted L. monocytogenes on tomatoes; as well as the survival of non-adapted, heat adapted and chlorine adapted biofilms after exposure to sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), levulinc acid, sodium hypochlorite solution. Contact time of 1, 3 and 5 minutes was used. The survival of L. monocytogenes was monitored at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours. The sanitizers were used individually or combined as follows; 1% sodium dodecyl sulphate individually; 0.5% levulinic acid individually; 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite solution individually and 0.5% levulinic acid/0.05% sodium dodecyl sulphate in combination (mixture). The samples were kept at 4 °C throughout the period of assessment. The effect of these sanitizers on pH, total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) was also determined. Furthermore, the attachment of L. monocytogenes on tomatoes was investigated using a scanning electron microscope. Highest log reduction of non-adapted L. monocytogenes were observed on tomatoes treated with 1% SDS and least log reduction was achieved when tomatoes were treated with sodium hypochlorite solution. Though the log reduction achieved by 0.5% levulinic acid was higher that sodium hypochlorite solution, it was lower than log reduction achieved when 0.05% SDS / 0.5% levulinic acid mixture was used for all contact times. Using non-adapted L. monocytogenes, SDS was able to destroy all L. monocytogenes at 1, 3 and 5 minutes contact time. The trend was the same when heat adapted and chlorine adapted L. monocytogenes were used. There was no significant log reduction observed with biofilms. More favourable results were observed as contact time was increased from 1 to 5 minutes. Though there was a decrease in surviving bacteria from 1 to 3 minutes contact time, this decrease was not significant. The study investigated if exposure to sanitizer has an effect on pH, titratable acidity (TA) and total soluble solids (TSS) of the tomatoes. It was revealed that levulinic acid and mixture can have detrimental effect on pH, TA and TSS of tomatoes. The TA and TSS of samples treated with levulinic acid and mixture varied significantly (P ≤ 0.05) compared to the control sample. Although the TA and TSS of samples treated with SDS and sodium hypochlorite solution were different from the control, the differences were not significant. As much as sanitizers have the potential to reduce the bacterial population in fresh produce they may not completely destroy pathogens. Chlorine based sanitizers such as sodium hypochlorite though frequently used in the fresh produce industry, are not the best sanitizer to be used against food borne pathogens. Other sanitizers such as SDS used alone or in combination with another sanitizer can achieve better results than the widely used sodium hypochlorite solution as observed in this study. Stress adapted pathogens become less responsive to sanitizers during subsequent treatments. Through this research, it was established that biofilms are resistant to sanitizers. Though application of sanitizers in fresh produce is cheaper and simpler to apply, there is need to monitor varying concentrations of sanitizers, contact time and minimise contact with sub-surfaces as this could lead to sensory quality losses.

Background: The past two decades have witnessed transition from in-patient hospital settings to Community and Home Based Care in Zimbabwe. This is because of an increase in the number of people developing chronic health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and cancers, and thus needing longer treatment durations. The increase in chronic conditions has mainly been attributed to the increase in incidence and prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune-deficiency Syndrome in Sub-Saharan Africa. Many Governments, including that of Zimbabwe, endorsed and promoted community and home based care to provide a continuum of care to the chronically ill. Despite the implementation of Community and Home Based Care programmes, no studies known to the researcher have been done to investigate the congruency of service users’ needs and the programme goals. Purpose: The purpose of the study is twofold; firstly to explore whether Community and Home Based Care interventions provide services that effectively meet users’ goals in a dynamic social environment and secondly, to develop guidelines for enhancing care provision as well as congruency of service users’ needs and programme goals. Methods: A mixed-method approach combining qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis was used. Concurrent collection of data with equal status was placed on both qualitative and quantitative data. For qualitative data interviews and focus groups were used with home based care service users, family care givers, and health providers. Structured questionnaires were used for the quantitative data. Framework: Imogene King’s Interacting Systems Framework and Theory of Goal Attainment were adopted to guide the study. These were utilised because of the assumption that mutual agreement on goals for effective care can be achieved through nurse-client interactions and communication Research findings: Community and Home Based Care programme in Zimbabwe does not comprehensively meet the needs of its service users. Service users have diverse needs and goals depending on the specific condition and symptoms they experience. They perceive access to medication for symptom management and pain control, food and financial stability, as priority needs. The study found that nursing services provided in Community and Home Based Care generally align with the physical needs of service users and was deficient in addressing the socio-economic and psycho-social needs of service users. Conclusion: No single sector can achieve the users’ and the programme`s goals of quality health on its own. The goals may only be realised when other stakeholders and relevant sectors contribute to the Community and Home Based Care programme, which requires diverse resources. Guidelines to enhance integration of Community and Home Based Care with social services were developed. / Health Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

In Swedish dialects we find the terms ris,skäver and skärva referring to illnesses in children. The words are also parts of various compounds which refer to variants of the illnesses. The terms are linguistic expressions denoting two folk categories of illnesses, RIS and SKÄVER/SKÄRVA. These categories are investigated from a cognitive semantic perspective. The cognitive perspective argues that we organize our understanding of reality by using Idealized Cognitive Models (ICM) based on our physical, mental and emotional experiences of the world. The aim is twofold: to demonstrate the bases on which an experienced illness is placed in a certain category, and to show how a folk conception of illness is reflected in the word formation strategies. The word formation strategies emanate from notions of characteristic symptoms, and from notions of causes of illnesses. Both categories, RIS and SKÄVER/SKÄRVA, are based on a number of ICM's. The category RIS is a radial structure, which means that the category is held together although its members have no structural criteria in common. The category SKÄVER/SKÄRVA is a concentrating structure, meaning that all members share all structural criteria. There is a strong connection between word formation strategies and the structures of the categories. Terms related to symptoms refer to members of a category which are part of a radial structure, while terms related to causes refer to members of a category which are part of a concentrating structure. This can be explained by two of the basic assumptions of cognitive semantics: semantic content is structred and symbolized overtly on the surface form of a language and categories are conventional, based on cultural assumptions about the world. / digitalisering@umu

In the thesis I examine current legislative anchoring of healthcare and social care of mental health. In the second chapter of theoretical part I write about classification of mental illnesses. Third chapter, which is very important from my point of view, describe transformation of healthcare and social care in the foreign countries. Practical part contains pilot survey for the Ministry of Health. The purpose was to find out the satisfaction of the clients with social and health services, which are part of the treatment of mental health. Satisfaction was detected by questionnaires, which patients had available with their ambulant psychiatrist. Those questionnaires were created at round tables by experts, patients and service providers in a hospital. Social care and healthcare do not connect. Experts do not communicate with each other. Tragical finding was that ambulant psychiatrist has in average thirteen minutes for examination of a client. Definitely Czech Republic need Centre for Mental Healthcare for complex care of the patient.

Depuis une décennie se rencontrent de plus en plus nombreux des malades d'un genre particulier. Présentant des symptômes variés et souvent invalidants, ils en attribuent la responsabilité à des facteurs environnementaux très spécifiques : produits de la chimie de synthèse pour les personnes hypersensibles chimiques multiples (MCS), rayonnements électromagnétiques artificiels pour les personnes électro-hypersensibles (EHS). La définition, l'existence même de ces maladies font l'objet de controverses autant politiques que scientifiques, que la littérature sociologique a déjà bien décrites. L'expérience de leurs victimes est en revanche peu connue – ce à quoi cette recherche propose de remédier, en s'interrogeant sur ce que signifie concrètement le fait de souffrir d'une hypersensibilité environnementale.Quatre manières de répondre à cette question seront explorées. La première renvoie à l'expérience de l'hypersensibilité, à ses manifestations symptomatiques ressenties dans l'évidence simultanée de leur corporéité et de leur origine environnementale. La seconde recouvre le raisonnement étiologique grâce auquel cette origine est reconnue et crédibilisée. La troisième a trait aux stratégies que les hypersensibles déploient contre leur mal, qui s'inscrivent dans le double registre du soin et de la mise à distance. Enfin, dernière dimension de leur expérience : la profonde transformation des rapports sociaux qu'entraîne le fait de souffrir d'une maladie controversée. Il s'agira d'étudier comment ces quatre dimensions se nouent, à l'aide d'une démarche ethnographique et inductive. / For about two decades, the number of people claiming to suffer from multiple chemical sensitivity or electromagnetic hypersensitivity has been steadily increasing in France.T hese persons experience various and sometimes quite disabling somatic symptoms, which they attribute to exposure either to chemicals or to anthropogenic electromagnetic fields. The definition, and even the existence of these diseases are controversial. They are not legally recognized and their victims resort to self-diagnosis. However, this is not a cognitively easy task. Its implications are also far-reaching: it results in a radical change in their views of themselves, their environment and their community, as well as significant alterations in their daily lives and behaviour. It is thus an interesting phenomenon to explain for a cognitive sociology concerned with how mental representations evolve and influence conduct. Such is the purpose of this thesis. The analysis relies mostly on ethnographic materials and is conducted in a comprehensive and ecological perspective. It falls into three stages. The first one is devoted to an exploration of the controversies aroused by environmental sensitivities, so as to clarify their lack of legitimacy. The second one deals with the subjective experience and biographical trajectories of environmentally sensitive persons. The last one tries to explain the appearance and persistence of their conviction that they are hypersensitive with a utilitarian model in which emotions play a prominent role. To conclude, a comparison is outlined with other epidemics of medically unexplained symptoms.

The purpose of this study was to find out problems encountered by Foskor Mine workers in Phalaborwa with the use of personal protective equipment and also to find out how these problems can be prevented or solved. A quantitative research study was done using a questionnaire as a data gathering tool on workers who are exposed to occupational injuries and illnesses and who use personal protective equipment for their protection. The findings revealed that even though workers were using personal protective equipment they still got occupational injuries and illnesses. They also had problems with their protective equipment like incompatible types of personal protective equipment, such as weight where heavy personal protective equipment like boots were issued and very hot or cold personal protective equipment incompatible with the temperature of the environment. Some personal protective equipment like gloves were of a wrong size and caused allergy. In some instances unavailability of or unsuitable personal protective equipment posed challenges to these workers. / Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)