A quantitative, explorative, descriptive contextual study was conducted to determine to what extent the malaria control measures proposed by the Tanzanian government had been implemented by parents of children between the ages 0-5 years who lived in Bukumbi village. Structured interviews were conducted with 40 parents of children who had been admitted for malaria treatment during 2007, and the data analysed by computer. Although respondents had a basic knowledge of preventive measures they did not implement actions preventing the anopheles mosquitoes’ breeding in this tropical area. The vicious cycle of poverty, malaria episodes and lack of proper malaria health education hampered the implementation of control measures such as the spraying of houses with insecticides. Although the government of Tanzania subsidises insecticide treated bed nets the respondents did not maintain these nets and did not renew the insecticide treatment of these nets. The incidence of malaria is unlikely to decline in the Bukumbi village unless all identified factors are addressed. / Health Studies / M.A.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the management of the HIV and AIDS workplace policy at Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). This entailed an assessment of the levels of awareness amongst employees, and an assessment of employees’ knowledge of the policy and its implementation. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to randomly selected employees. It was found that the respondents’ level of awareness of the HIV and AIDS workplace policy at Stats SA was satisfactory. Although some differences were observed, overall it seems that Stats SA was successful in promoting general awareness of its policy and its contents. However, as far as the respondents’ attitudes and opinions relating to the implementation of the policy at Stats SA are concerned, several issues still need to be addressed. / Sociology / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Advanced Nursing Science)

Young women working in SMEs are increasingly being affected by HIV and AIDS, and SMEs are expected to respond to HIV and AIDS through workplace policies and programmes. This requires commitment from SMEs to help young women who face various gendered vulnerabilities to HIV and AIDs. The study, whose purpose was to investigate young women workers’ experiences of the HIV and AIDS response of small and medium enterprises in a semi urban area in KwaZulu-Natal, used a qualitative approach and collected data from three SMEs in Pietermaritzburg during the period of the study. Findings of the study indicate that the majority of respondents from all three SMEs agree on experiencing limited or no HIV and AIDS policies and programmes in SMEs. With reference to incomplete or limited responses, two SMEs provide financial assistance for funerals. However, some aspects such as education and awareness, monitoring, management commitment, provision of medical aid, facilitation of peer education, appointment of an HIV officer and more were not evident. Thus recommendations were made on how SMEs should respond, and future research ideas were outlined. / Health Studies / M. A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

L’annonce des résultats du diagnostic d’une maladie grave est toujours un moment difficile à vivre pour le patient et, dans une moindre mesure, pour le médecin. Lorsqu’il s’agit du VIH/SIDA, la difficulté est d’autant plus importante que bien souvent, cette maladie véhicule honte et culpabilité avec risque de stigmatisation de la personne séropositive. Chez les femmes enceintes burundaises, cette situation est encore plus préoccupante. Des barrières liées au contexte socio-culturel les poussent à des conduites d’évitement du test du VIH, alors que le dépistage constitue une porte d’entrée pour les soins de prévention de la transmission du VIH de la mère à l’enfant. <p><p>L’objectif de cette thèse était de comprendre l’état psychologique des femmes enceintes lors du dépistage du VIH dans les services de Prévention de la Transmission Mère-Enfant (PTME) du VIH à Bujumbura. Cette compréhension permettrait d’optimiser la prise en charge psychologique de ces femmes enceintes au moment du dépistage du VIH et de mettre en place un accompagnement psychosocial dans leur milieu de vie. De façon spécifique, ce travail visait à :(1) analyser le contenu verbal des entretiens de conseils pré et post-test tels qu’ils sont faits dans les services de PTME, et de les comparer avec les normes proposées en la matière par l’OMS ;(2) évaluer l’anxiété chez les femmes enceintes à différents moments du dépistage du VIH; (3) analyser les raisons du refus du dépistage et du renoncement aux soins par les femmes enceintes séropositives à VIH. <p><p>La recherche a été réalisée principalement auprès des femmes enceintes rencontrées dans les services de consultation prénatale à Bujumbura, capitale du Burundi. Les outils de récolte des données étaient des entretiens conseillers-femmes enceintes au cours des activités de dépistage, les échelles d’évaluation de l’anxiété (HADS et STAI), des questionnaires de rétention/impact de l’information, des focus groups et un récit de vie. Ces outils nous ont permis de recueillir des données que nous avons traitées qualitativement par analyse de contenu et quantitativement par des analyses statistiques avec le logiciel SPSS.<p><p>Les résultats sont présentés dans cinq études. Notre première étude a montré que l’adaptation locale du schéma proposé par l’OMS pour les conseils pré et post-test en dépistage prénatal du VIH est une nécessité. Cela permettrait aux conseillers de mieux communiquer avec les femmes enceintes. Les trois autres études portant sur l’évaluation de l’anxiété ont montré que les besoins psychologiques des femmes enceintes au cours du dépistage du VIH devraient être reconnus et pris en compte. La détection de l’anxiété devrait être systématique afin de commencer une prise en charge psychologique dès le début du processus de dépistage et ainsi aller au devant des conduites d’évitement. La cinquième et dernière étude a montré que la stigmatisation et ses conséquences seraient à la base du refus du dépistage du VIH et du traitement en cas de séropositivité. Dès lors, le suivi médical doit être associé à un suivi psychologique pour réaliser une prise en charge intégrée des femmes enceintes dans les services de PTME. En continuité avec cette prise en charge au niveau des structures de santé, des stratégies d’accompagnement psychosocial adéquates devraient être planifiées au niveau des communautés. En outre, nous recommandons des études visant les problématiques psychologiques et sociales liées au VIH/SIDA chez la femme enceinte au Burundi. <p><p>Abstract:The announcement of the diagnosis of a serious illness is always a difficult experience for the patient and to a lesser extent, to the doctor. When it comes to HIV / AIDS, the challenge is even more important that in many cases, this disease vehicle with shame, guilt and risk of stigmatization of HIV-positive person. For pregnant women in Burundi, the situation is even more worrying. Socio-cultural barriers cause avoidance of HIV testing, while the screening is a gateway to care for the prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child.<p><p>The objective of this thesis was to understand the psychological state of pregnant women in HIV testing services in the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV in Bujumbura. This understanding would maximize the psychological care of pregnant women at the time of HIV testing and to develop psychosocial support in their living environment. Specifically, this work aimed to: (1) analyzing the verbal content of counseling interviews pre and post-test as they are made in PMTCT services, and compare them with the proposed standards in this area by WHO, (2) assess anxiety in pregnant women at different stages of HIV testing, (3) analyze the reasons for refusal of screening and seeking care for pregnant HIV-positive.<p><p>The research was conducted mainly among pregnant women encountered in antenatal clinics in Bujumbura, Burundi's capital. Tools for data collection were interviews between counselors and pregnant women during routine screening, rating scales of anxiety (HADS and STAI), questionnaires of retention / impact of information, focus groups and a life story. These tools have allowed us to collect data that we have treated qualitatively by content analysis and quantitatively by statistical analysis using SPSS.<p><p>The results are presented in five studies. Our first study showed that local adaptation of the scheme proposed by the WHO for counseling pre and post-test in antenatal HIV testing is a necessity. This would allow counselors to better communicate with pregnant women. The other three studies of anxiety assessment showed that the psychological needs of pregnant women in HIV testing should be recognized and taken into account. Anxiety screening should be systematic to begin psychological support early in the process of HIV testing. The fifth and final study showed that stigma and its consequences would be the causes for refusal of HIV testing and treatment in HIV positive cases. Therefore, medical care should be combined with psychological support to achieve an optimal management of pregnant women in PMTCT services. In continuity with this support in the structures of health, psychosocial support strategies should be planned at the community level. In addition, we recommend studies related to psychological and social issues of HIV / AIDS among pregnant women in Burundi.<p> / Doctorat en Sciences Psychologiques et de l'éducation / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational lifestyle modification (LM) intervention on blood pressure (BP) among adults with prehypertension. Prehypertension is a precursor to hypertension (HTN) and is a public epidemic in the United States. Approximately 68 million (31%) U.S. adult’s aged ≥18 years have hypertension. Hypertension can cause significant target organ damage, lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and kidney failure. Early identification and the primary treatment of persons with prehypertension with LM have the potential to minimize the progression and delay the onset of comorbidities associated with hypertension. This quality improvement project retrospectively reviewed changes in blood pressure for a small sample (n=5) of patients diagnosed with prehypertension who received education about modifying lifestyle behaviors according to nationally accepted clinical practice guidelines. Blood pressure measurements were extracted from the medical record beginning at the time of the education through a three month period. Descriptive data indicates that all five patients had a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The median systolic blood pressure at baseline was 129 mmHg decreasing to 121 mmHg at end of study period. The median diastolic blood pressure was 86 mmHg decreasing to 76 mmHg. Integration of lifestyle modification education and subsequent blood pressure monitoring during a routine primary care visit is feasible and may help motivate patients to implement changes and subsequently reduce blood pressure. Future studies should include identifying strategies for improving patient participation.

This project examines the role of immunization registries and their effect on a health care delivery system. Recent efforts to attain coverage of child populations by recommended vaccines have included initiatives by federal and state agencies, as well as private foundations, to develop and implement statewide community-based childhood immunization registries.

Abstracts in English and Southern Sotho / Affordable and accessible preventive health programmes within the South African Police Service (SAPS) could be the best measures for managing epidemic diseases in the organisation. Employee health and wellness (EHW) programmes, including those dealing with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), are often the subjects of debate among scholars and human resource management practitioners within the context of developing effective and efficient interventions in the workplace to enhance the health management of employees. This study explores the nature and extent of the employee wellness programmes that focus on HIV/AIDS in the SAPS. In particular, the research examines how EHW practitioners in the SAPS experience the programmes and what support they receive regarding HIV/AIDS in the workplace. Data were collected from six EHW practitioners using semi-structured interviews. The study finds that HIV/AIDS programmes are categorised into different interventions, each with advantages and purpose. The findings will help determine if the HIV/AIDS programmes effectively cater to the health needs of employees within the SAPS. The findings from this study are limited to six EHW practitioners’ experiences in relation to how they perceive the employee wellness programmes in the SAPS, more specifically, the HIV/AIDS programmes. / Go hwetšagala ga mananeo a maphelo a thibelo ao a bolokegilego, ao a sa turego le a go fihlelelega ka gare ga Tirelo ya Maphodisa ya Afrika Borwa (SAPS) e ka ba legato le lekaone la thibelo la go laola malwetši a leuba ka gare ga tirelo ye. Mananeo a bophelo bjo bokaone bja bašomi, go akaretšwa ao a šomago ka twatši ya go palediša mašole a mmele go šoma (HIV) le bolwetši bja go šitwa ga mašole a mmele (AIDS), gantši ke seo se dirago gore dirutegi di ngangišane le bašomi ba lefapha la bašomi mabapi le go tšweletša ditsenogare tšeo di šomago gabotse le tša go hloka mathata ka mošomong ka nepo ya go maatlafatša taolo ya maphelo a bašomi. Maikemišetšomagolo a dinyakišišo e bile go utolla sebopego le bogolo bja mananeo a maphelo a makaone a bašomi ka go SAPS ao a lebeletšego kudu HIV/AIDS. Dinyakišišo di dirilwe go tseba ka fao bašomi ba maphelo a bašomi le go phela gabotse (EHW) ga bona ka SAPS ba itemogetšego mananeo ao le gore ke thekgo efe ye ba e hwetšago mabapi le HIV/AIDS ka mošomong. Dipotšišo tša dipoledišano tšeo di nyakago gore baarabi ba fe mabaka di dirilwe ka nepo ya go kgoboketša tshedimošo go tšwa go bašomi ba tshela (6) ba EHW ba ka SAPS bao ba kgathilego tema ka dinyakišišong. Dikutollo di laetša gore mananeo a HIV/AIDS a hlophilwe ka mehuta ye e fapafapanego ya ditsenogare, gomme le lengwe le le lengwe le na le menyetla le maikemišetšo a lona. Dikutollo tše di tla ba mohola go tseba ge eba mananeo a HIV/AIDS a šoma gabotse go hlokomela dinyakwa tša maphelo tša bašomi ka gare ga SAPS. Dikutollo go tšwa ka mo dinyakišišong tše di tšwa fela go maitemogelo a bašomi ba tshela ba EHW mabapi le ka fao ba bonago mananeo a mabapi le go phela gabotse ga bašomi ka SAPS, kudukudu, mananeo a HIV/AIDS. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

No description available.

The study sought to explore and describe the risk behaviour regarding HIV transmission among youth in Bulawayo, their knowledge of HIV transmission and the sources of information on HIV transmission accessible to them. A quantitative, descriptive exploratory design was used and 238 youth from three secondary schools in Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe were the respondents. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used to facilitate and acquire insight into the risk behaviour among the youth. The inferences drawn from the study were that youth have inadequate knowledge about HIV transmission and therefore do not fully understand their risk of infection. Youth also find shyness and fear of rejection serious barriers to communicating openly about sexuality, sexual and HIV/AIDS issues. The findings of the study have implications for programmes to limit HIV transmission among youth and should assist policymakers and educators in developing and implementing such programmes in order to improve the health of youth in Zimbabwe. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)