Using iterative learning to improve understanding during the informed consent process in a South African psychiatric genomics study
- Authors: Campbell, Megan M , Susser, Ezra , Mall, Sumaya , Mqulwana, Sibonile G , Mndini, Michael M , Ntola, Odwa A , Nagdee, Mohamed , Zingela, Zukiswa , Van Wyk, Stephanus , Stein, Dan J
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Informed consent (Medical law) , Patient education
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/6114 , vital:45124 , https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188466
- Description: Obtaining informed consent is a great challenge in global health research. There is a need for tools that can screen for and improve potential research participants’ understanding of the research study at the time of recruitment. Limited empirical research has been conducted in low and middle income countries, evaluating informed consent processes in genomics research. We sought to investigate the quality of informed consent obtained in a South African psychiatric genomics study. A Xhosa language version of the University of California, San Diego Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent Questionnaire (UBACC) was used to screen for capacity to consent and improve understanding through iterative learning in a sample of 528 Xhosa people with schizophrenia and 528 controls. We address two questions: firstly, whether research participants’ understanding of the research study improved through iterative learning; and secondly, what were predictors for better understanding of the research study at the initial screening? During screening 290 (55%) cases and 172 (33%) controls scored below the 14.5 cut-off for acceptable understanding of the research study elements, however after iterative learning only 38 (7%) cases and 13 (2.5%) controls continued to score below this cut-off. Significant variables associated with increased understanding of the consent included the psychiatric nurse recruiter conducting the consent screening, higher participant level of education, and being a control. The UBACC proved an effective tool to improve understanding of research study elements during consent, for both cases and controls. The tool holds utility for complex studies such as those involving genomics, where iterative learning can be used to make significant improvements in understanding of research study elements. The UBACC may be particularly important in groups with severe mental illness and lower education levels. Study recruiters play a significant role in managing the quality of the informed consent process.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Local setting influences the quantity of household food waste in mid-sized South African towns
- Authors: Chakona, Gamuchirai , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67289 , vital:29067 , https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189407
- Description: publisher version , From Introduction: The world faces a food security challenge with approximately 868 million people undernourished and about two billion people suffering from the negative health consequences of micronutrient deficiencies [1]. Yet, at least one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted along the food chain between farm and fork [2–7]. Food waste refers to wholesome edible material intended for human consumption, arising at any point in the food supply chain that is instead discarded, lost, degraded or consumed by pests [8]. Food loss is defined as the decrease in food quantity or quality which makes it unfit for human consumption [9]. According to the European Commission [10], food waste is composed of raw or cooked food materials such as vegetable peelings, meat trimmings and spoiled or excess ingredients or prepared food as well as bones, carcasses and organs. However, food waste can be measured only for edible products that are directed to human consumption [6]. Food losses take place at production, postharvest and processing stages in the food supply chain and the food losses that occur at the end of the food chain (retail and final consumption) are called “food waste” [11]. In our study food waste refers to food losses that occur at the end of the food chain (final consumption at household or consumer level) which include edible products that are directed to human consumption and are discarded when not consumed for various reasons. It is related to consumers’ behaviour [6,11] and it includes food loss before, during or after meal preparation in the household. , The research was funded by VW foundation under the Livelihoods Urbanisation and Natural Resources in Africa (LUNA) project through Freiburg University, Germany. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of this manuscript
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- Date Issued: 2013