The association between sedentary behaviour, physical activity and coronary artery disease risk factors in employees at tertiary institute in South Africa
- Authors: Marais, Mione
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Coronary heart disease -- Risk factors Physical fitness , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Employees
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/13823 , vital:27311
- Description: Background Sedentary behaviour has incrementally increased over the past few years. The scientific community recognises this behaviour as a twenty first century disease which reflects the detrimental effects of excessive sitting on several adverse functional and clinical health outcomes, such as chronic disease, in the general adult population. Many evolving contemporary occupations require that employees sit an average of eight hours per day at work stations or office desks, especially when using communication technology. Even after accounting for the self-reported time spent in recommended physical activity, the negative dose-response relationship between time spent in sedentary behaviour and the all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality still remain. Aim: To establish a profile of sedentary behaviour as well as levels of physical activity and coronary artery disease risk factors in employees at a tertiary institute in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Another aim is to determine whether an association exists between the aforementioned variables.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Marais, Mione
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Coronary heart disease -- Risk factors Physical fitness , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Employees
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/13823 , vital:27311
- Description: Background Sedentary behaviour has incrementally increased over the past few years. The scientific community recognises this behaviour as a twenty first century disease which reflects the detrimental effects of excessive sitting on several adverse functional and clinical health outcomes, such as chronic disease, in the general adult population. Many evolving contemporary occupations require that employees sit an average of eight hours per day at work stations or office desks, especially when using communication technology. Even after accounting for the self-reported time spent in recommended physical activity, the negative dose-response relationship between time spent in sedentary behaviour and the all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality still remain. Aim: To establish a profile of sedentary behaviour as well as levels of physical activity and coronary artery disease risk factors in employees at a tertiary institute in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Another aim is to determine whether an association exists between the aforementioned variables.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The managerial leadership styles of school principals for school effectiveness: a study of six Secondary schools of the Dutywa Education District
- Authors: Ziduli, Mlungiseleli
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: High school -- Management Secondary education performance -- School leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/504 , vital:27279
- Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the managerial leadership styles of school principals for school effectiveness at secondary schools of the Dutywa Education District in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South. The literature review reflects theories concerning the managerial leadership styles of school principals for school effectiveness. In order to attain the aims and objectives of the study, the researcher used the qualitative research method, both in collecting and analyzing the data. The case study design was used to describe and access the phenomenon and the purposive sampling method was used to select (6) secondary school principals. An open ended interview schedule was used for the face-to-face in-depth interviews on the managerial leadership styles of school principals for school effectiveness at secondary schools of the Dutywa Education District. Themes were drawn from the responses of the participants and analysed. Some of the findings were: Democratic and participatory leadership styles were used by the school principals to achieve maximum co-operation from both experienced and beginning teachers and the learners in the schools. Laissez fair and autocratic styles of leadership appeared to be undesirable for the management of schools. For school principals’ effective management, they need to do proper planning, organising and scheduling of activities, assigning duties to teachers and delegating some of their work to competent teachers. The reasons for school principals’ ineffectiveness in this study were: favouritism, over-familiar relationships with some teachers, ignoring teachers’ personal problems, workload, lack of support and co-operation from teachers. Incorrect interpretation of educational policies were seen to lead to chaotic situations, poor performance of both teachers and learners, division between learners and teachers, a lack of unity between school stake-holders, poor job satisfaction and lack of trust and respect for the principals concerned. Factors contributing to principals’ incorrect interpretation of educational policies and execution of management roles were: negligence, lack of knowledge and ability to interpret educational policies, lack of proper induction programmes and training of principals and lack of support on policy matters from the Department of Education. Contributing factors resulting in barriers to principals’ ineffectiveness in the management of schools were: failure to give proper instructions to teachers and learners, failure to effectively use of available funds in the school, failure to implement all educational programmes in the school including co-curricular and extra mural activities, lack of experience, lack of support from both the Department of Education and the parents, lack of resources, high staff turnover, favourtisms and failure to hold teachers accountable for poor work done. Mechanisms deemed to overcome the factors leading to barriers to principals’ execution of their management roles at schools were: making the effort to be knowledgeable about educational policies, timely responses to problems in the school, regular consultation with stakeholders, employment of SGB teachers, taking direct supervision of instructions in classrooms and endeavoring to have good relations and gaining support from the SGB and the parents. The researcher made some recommendations on the managerial leadership styles of school principals for school effectiveness at secondary schools of the Dutywa Education District.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Ziduli, Mlungiseleli
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: High school -- Management Secondary education performance -- School leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/504 , vital:27279
- Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the managerial leadership styles of school principals for school effectiveness at secondary schools of the Dutywa Education District in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South. The literature review reflects theories concerning the managerial leadership styles of school principals for school effectiveness. In order to attain the aims and objectives of the study, the researcher used the qualitative research method, both in collecting and analyzing the data. The case study design was used to describe and access the phenomenon and the purposive sampling method was used to select (6) secondary school principals. An open ended interview schedule was used for the face-to-face in-depth interviews on the managerial leadership styles of school principals for school effectiveness at secondary schools of the Dutywa Education District. Themes were drawn from the responses of the participants and analysed. Some of the findings were: Democratic and participatory leadership styles were used by the school principals to achieve maximum co-operation from both experienced and beginning teachers and the learners in the schools. Laissez fair and autocratic styles of leadership appeared to be undesirable for the management of schools. For school principals’ effective management, they need to do proper planning, organising and scheduling of activities, assigning duties to teachers and delegating some of their work to competent teachers. The reasons for school principals’ ineffectiveness in this study were: favouritism, over-familiar relationships with some teachers, ignoring teachers’ personal problems, workload, lack of support and co-operation from teachers. Incorrect interpretation of educational policies were seen to lead to chaotic situations, poor performance of both teachers and learners, division between learners and teachers, a lack of unity between school stake-holders, poor job satisfaction and lack of trust and respect for the principals concerned. Factors contributing to principals’ incorrect interpretation of educational policies and execution of management roles were: negligence, lack of knowledge and ability to interpret educational policies, lack of proper induction programmes and training of principals and lack of support on policy matters from the Department of Education. Contributing factors resulting in barriers to principals’ ineffectiveness in the management of schools were: failure to give proper instructions to teachers and learners, failure to effectively use of available funds in the school, failure to implement all educational programmes in the school including co-curricular and extra mural activities, lack of experience, lack of support from both the Department of Education and the parents, lack of resources, high staff turnover, favourtisms and failure to hold teachers accountable for poor work done. Mechanisms deemed to overcome the factors leading to barriers to principals’ execution of their management roles at schools were: making the effort to be knowledgeable about educational policies, timely responses to problems in the school, regular consultation with stakeholders, employment of SGB teachers, taking direct supervision of instructions in classrooms and endeavoring to have good relations and gaining support from the SGB and the parents. The researcher made some recommendations on the managerial leadership styles of school principals for school effectiveness at secondary schools of the Dutywa Education District.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Validity and accuracy of self-reported drug allergies
- Authors: Grant, Elzaan
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Drug allergy , Medical history taking
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPharm
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3295 , vital:20421
- Description: Purpose: Pharmacists must ensure the safe and effective use of medication, but often have only the documented patient history to guide assessment of therapy. There is a lack of information on the incidence of claimed drug allergies or the validity of these self-reported drug allergies in the South African population. Mislabelling of patients as being allergic to medication often deprives them of important therapeutic drugs and alternative agents may be more dangerous, less effective and more costly (Hung et al., 1994). The aim of the research was therefore to determine the incidence of drug allergies in patients admitted to a private hospital and to assess the validity of these self-reported drug allergies. Methods: A descriptive, non-experimental study design was used. Data was collected using a concurrent, cross-sectional approach and collected from patients admitted to hospital using Medical Chart Reviews and researcher-led, questionnaire based interviews. During the seven month sampling period, 693 patients were identified with one or more self-reported drug allergies. A subset of 99 patients (14.2%) consented to a researcher-led interview. The allergies were assigned to one of three groups based on the history: (i) High probability: signs and symptoms typical of an immunological reaction. (ii) Low probability: signs and symptoms of the reaction were predictable reactions or side effects of the drug. (iii) Unknown status: no information concerning the reaction history was available. Results: A total of 953 allergies were identified in the 693 patients, with a ratio of drug allergy to patient of 1.4:1. The majority of claimed allergies were to penicillin (39.2%), opioid analgesics (17.6%), other antimicrobials, including co-trimoxazole (13.5%), NSAIDs (9.9%) and unspecified “sulphur” allergy (8.7%). Descriptions of the “allergic” reactions were only recorded on 8.9% (62, n=693) of the reviewed charts. Only 56.5% (35, n=62) of the symptoms recorded as “allergy” were indicative of the event being allergic or immunological in nature. In total, 1.3% (9, n=693) of the patients with a self-reported allergy received the allergen while in hospital. In three cases this was the result of a pharmacist overlooking the recorded allergy, and dispensing the allergen to the patient. A total of 118 allergies were identified in the 99 interviewed patients, with a ratio of drug allergy to patient of 1.2:1. Inaccurate allergy history was found in 9.1% (9, n=99) of the interviewed patients. Overall, the majority of self-reported drug allergies (67.8%) had a “high probability” of being a true drug allergy. Allergies that were assigned into the high probability group were: penicillin (74.1%), co-trimoxazole (91.7%), NSAID‟s (55.6%) and 75.0% of opioids. Conclusion: In summary, the validity of self-reported drug allergies need to be determined before excluding medication from a patient‟s treatment options. Detailed descriptions can assist in the evaluation of self-reported allergies which would be advantageous to both prescribers and patients. Pharmacists need to play a bigger role in ensuring accurate documentation of drug allergy history, with detailed descriptions, in order to ensure safe and effective drug use within the hospital environment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Grant, Elzaan
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Drug allergy , Medical history taking
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPharm
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3295 , vital:20421
- Description: Purpose: Pharmacists must ensure the safe and effective use of medication, but often have only the documented patient history to guide assessment of therapy. There is a lack of information on the incidence of claimed drug allergies or the validity of these self-reported drug allergies in the South African population. Mislabelling of patients as being allergic to medication often deprives them of important therapeutic drugs and alternative agents may be more dangerous, less effective and more costly (Hung et al., 1994). The aim of the research was therefore to determine the incidence of drug allergies in patients admitted to a private hospital and to assess the validity of these self-reported drug allergies. Methods: A descriptive, non-experimental study design was used. Data was collected using a concurrent, cross-sectional approach and collected from patients admitted to hospital using Medical Chart Reviews and researcher-led, questionnaire based interviews. During the seven month sampling period, 693 patients were identified with one or more self-reported drug allergies. A subset of 99 patients (14.2%) consented to a researcher-led interview. The allergies were assigned to one of three groups based on the history: (i) High probability: signs and symptoms typical of an immunological reaction. (ii) Low probability: signs and symptoms of the reaction were predictable reactions or side effects of the drug. (iii) Unknown status: no information concerning the reaction history was available. Results: A total of 953 allergies were identified in the 693 patients, with a ratio of drug allergy to patient of 1.4:1. The majority of claimed allergies were to penicillin (39.2%), opioid analgesics (17.6%), other antimicrobials, including co-trimoxazole (13.5%), NSAIDs (9.9%) and unspecified “sulphur” allergy (8.7%). Descriptions of the “allergic” reactions were only recorded on 8.9% (62, n=693) of the reviewed charts. Only 56.5% (35, n=62) of the symptoms recorded as “allergy” were indicative of the event being allergic or immunological in nature. In total, 1.3% (9, n=693) of the patients with a self-reported allergy received the allergen while in hospital. In three cases this was the result of a pharmacist overlooking the recorded allergy, and dispensing the allergen to the patient. A total of 118 allergies were identified in the 99 interviewed patients, with a ratio of drug allergy to patient of 1.2:1. Inaccurate allergy history was found in 9.1% (9, n=99) of the interviewed patients. Overall, the majority of self-reported drug allergies (67.8%) had a “high probability” of being a true drug allergy. Allergies that were assigned into the high probability group were: penicillin (74.1%), co-trimoxazole (91.7%), NSAID‟s (55.6%) and 75.0% of opioids. Conclusion: In summary, the validity of self-reported drug allergies need to be determined before excluding medication from a patient‟s treatment options. Detailed descriptions can assist in the evaluation of self-reported allergies which would be advantageous to both prescribers and patients. Pharmacists need to play a bigger role in ensuring accurate documentation of drug allergy history, with detailed descriptions, in order to ensure safe and effective drug use within the hospital environment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
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