Attitudes and perceptions towards TB in Grahamstown East in a time of HIV/AIDS
- Authors: Ndoro, Tinashe T. R
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Tuberculosis -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , HIV (Viruses) -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Tuberculosis -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Tuberculosis -- Prevention -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Grahamstown -- Public opinion , Tuberculosis -- South Africa -- Grahamstown -- Public opinion , Health surveys -- South Africa -- Grahamstown
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:3030 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002539 , Tuberculosis -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , HIV (Viruses) -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Tuberculosis -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Tuberculosis -- Prevention -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Grahamstown -- Public opinion , Tuberculosis -- South Africa -- Grahamstown -- Public opinion , Health surveys -- South Africa -- Grahamstown
- Description: Tuberculosis (TB) has become a serious South African health problem because it is the most common opportunistic disease that leads to death in people with HIV/AIDS. Due to the airborne nature of the disease it can easily be spread to anyone including healthy people. A lack of compliance to treatment by TB patients explains why prevalence rates of the disease are high and why there is an emergence of drug resistant strains such as XDR-TB and MDR-TB. Information on existing knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding TB can provide a crucial foundation for the development of educational programmes and interventions aimed at reducing the further spread of the disease. This study aimed at understanding the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards TB and relating these to the current prevalence of HIV/AIDS. A face-to-face interview survey was conducted among adult Grahamstown East residents (n=1020). The Health Belief Model (Rosenstock et al., 1994) and Bandura’s (1986) Social Cognitive Theory formed the theoretical framework of the data collection and analysis. The data generated from the field work was first descriptively analysed providing frequency tables. Thereafter cross tabulations were calculated for relevant items using independent variables, namely gender, level of education, and experience of dealing with TB. The results of the study show that, in general, knowledge concerning TB was sufficient to provide a foundation for the adoption of healthier behaviours in the female respondents. Few of the respondents reported feeling personally susceptible although the majority of the respondents acknowledged the severity of the disease. The cues to action lacked the influence to persuade people to adopt positive health related behaviours. The perceived benefits of adopting preventative behaviour were not very influential in the adoption of healthier behavioural changes in the respondents. Disease stigma regarding the dual association of TB and HIV/AIDS was the main barrier for the adoption of healthier behavioural attitudes. Perceived self-efficacy in preventative behaviours was generally low in the less educated respondents. Recommendations regarding areas for future research and change interventions are provided.
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- Date Issued: 2009
Towards a new approach for coastal governance with an assessment of the Plettenberg Bay shore-based linefishery
- Authors: King, Claire Margaret
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Fishery management -- South Africa -- Plettenberg Bay , Fisheries -- South Africa -- Plettenberg Bay , Coastal zone management -- South Africa -- Plettenberg Bay
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5326 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005172 , Fishery management -- South Africa -- Plettenberg Bay , Fisheries -- South Africa -- Plettenberg Bay , Coastal zone management -- South Africa -- Plettenberg Bay
- Description: The overall aim of this thesis, as required by the funders, was to provide research that would contribute towards the development of a bay management plan, specifically information on the local fisheries. The thesis therefore includes an assessment of the local shore-based linefishery in terms of catch and effort and socio-economics, and the development of indicators from this information with which to assess the sustainability of the fishery. Finally an implementation strategy for an integrated coastal management approach for local resource governance is proposed The shore-based linefishery of Plettenberg Bay was assessed through a combination of roving creel and access point surveys which included questions aimed at the quantification of total effort, total catch and cpue, as well as the spatial trends in catch and effort. Angler demographics as well as opinions and knowledge of current fisheries regulations were obtained and the efficiency of the fishery inspectorate was assessed. The survey period extended from August 2003 to September 2004 during which 1189 angler interviews were conducted. Catch data obtained during this study was compared to catch data gathered during a research tagging program conducted in an area closed to fishing (Tsitsikamma National Park) and a semi-open area (Rebelsrus – Cape St. Francis), thereby highlighting differences in species composition, abundance and size distribution of certain species between areas of differing fishing pressures. The fishery surveys revealed that the shore-based fishery is primarily recreational (99%) and dominated by white males. Most anglers agreed with the current fisheries regulations (60%) and admitted to abiding by them, however when tested on the regulations of their target species, their knowledge was poor. Effort in the fishery was highly seasonal with peaks coinciding with major school holidays. Total annual effort was estimated at 102 566 angler-hours, with distinct spatial patterns in effort. Total annual catch for the Plettenberg Bay shore-based linefishery was estimated at 31 217 fish.year⁻¹ with a total mass of 13.6 tons. Thirty-six fish species (26 teleost species and 10 elasmobranchs species) were identified during the survey period with Blacktail Diplodus capensis, Strepie Sarpa salpa, Red tjor-tjor Pagellus natalensis, Shad Pomatomus saltatrix and Sand steenbras Lithognathus mormyrus being the five most commonly caught species. Only 32% of interviewed anglers were successful in catching a fish with just 22% catching their primary target species. In addition, a large proportion of the anglers (69%) reported a decline in catch rate, with most blaming the commercial sector as a reason for the decline. The overall catch rate was (cpue) 0.374 fish.angler.hour⁻¹ or 170 grams.angler.hour⁻¹, considerably lower than that obtained from the fishery exempt area (TNP = 1. 02 fish.angler.hour⁻¹) and the partially exploited area (Rebelsrus = 0.91 fish.angler.hour⁻¹). In terms of species composition the most obvious difference between the three areas was the low proportion of non-migratory reef-associated species like red roman, poenskop, John brown, santer and bronze bream in Plettenberg Bay. Size comparisons revealed that the majority of species (particularly reef-associated species) were larger in the TNP than both the semi-exploited (Rebelsrus) and exploited area (Plettenberg Bay). Collectively theses findings suggest that certain species have been locally depleted, that recreational fishing has impacted heavily on the fish stocks and that even partial closure or limited access to an area can offer protection. From the results key issues were identified and sustainability indicators proposed according to the three sustainability domains (ecological, institutional and social) proposed by Pajak (2000). Within the ecological domain the most pertinent issue was the low catch rate, particularly for reef-associated species. Indicators to track these issues included: percentage of successful trips (where fish were caught), percentage of anglers that reached their daily bag limits and the proportion of the overall catch that comprised larger, more desirable species. Institutionally the most pertinent issue was the apparent inability of management institutions to manage effectively marine resources within Plettenberg Bay. Indicators within this domain included the proportion of anglers who were inspected, the existence of a localised management plan and an associated monitoring programme. Socially the fishery proved to be fairly sustainable. Indicators included in this domain were the proportion of subsistence anglers in the local fishing community, the percentage of correct answers pertaining to current fishery regulations, the level of noncompliance and the percentage of undersize fish retained. Aggregation of all the indicators within a sustainability matrix revealed that the Plettenberg Bay shore-based linefishery was unsustainable and thus requires increased local management effort. Since there is no local management strategy in place, an integrated coastal management approach for the governance of the coastal resources in Plettenberg Bay has been proposed. The development of a Coastal Management Plan and a subsidiary Bay Management Plan provide the frameworks within which management strategies can be put into operation.
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- Date Issued: 2006
The development of academic literacy in the first-year psychology course at Rhodes University: an assessment of the tutorial programme
- Authors: Amos, Trevor Lawrence
- Date: 1998
- Subjects: Psychology -- Study and teaching (Higher) , Psychology -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Academic achievement -- South Africa , College student development programs -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:2923 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002432 , Psychology -- Study and teaching (Higher) , Psychology -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Academic achievement -- South Africa , College student development programs -- South Africa
- Description: This research is concerned with the cognitive development of students in higher education. Specifically, it is recognised that the demands facing students are different to those previously encountered in secondary education. These demands include being able to master what Strohm Kitchener (1983) calls ill-structured problems and learning the groundrules of their academic disciplines. This is termed academic literacy. Current thought in academic development proposes that students need to be shown how to mobilise their cognitive processes to meet these demands. It is argued that this is best accomplished when such activities are integrated into the discipline itself as opposed to being an add-on process. Taking into account the social and dialectical nature of learning (Vygotsky, 1978), academic development and academic literacy are seen to best occur within the tutorial system. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the 1997 first-year Psychology tutorial programme at Rhodes University, Grahamstown to assess how academic literacy was being developed. A qualitative research approach was followed, guided by the ten stage evaluation model of education programmes (Jacobs, 1996) and an adapted version of the Context, Input, Process and Product approach to evaluation (Parlett and Hamilton cited in Calder, 1995, p.25). Using indepth interviews, data was gathered from eight first year students, seven staff members and one programme co-ordinator. Focus groups were used to gather data from nine tutors. Further data collection techniques included observation of tutor briefing sessions and tutorials as well as documentary research. Data was analysed using qualitative data analysis techniques (Coffey & Atkinson, 1996). The Psychology Department at Rhodes University aims to integrate the development of academic literacy into mainstream teaching at the first year level through its tutorial programme. The Department has conceptualised its understanding of academic development as the development of academic, vocational and professional literacy which is rather unique. Academic literacy is defined and conceptualised further in a list of pre-determined skills (reading, writing and general skills) to be developed incrementally. This conceptualisation of academic literacy tends to neglect to include the mobilisation of relevant cognitive processes explicitly and the implementation tends to remain implicit. A lack of tactical strategies to implement academic development is evidence of the difficulty in moving from the philosophical level of academic development to the practical level. The programme is perceived as disorganised and lacking in a co-ordinated or incremental development of the predetermined skills.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1998
Antimicrobial resistance patterns in a Port Elizabeth hospital
- Authors: Meiring, Jillian A
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: Antibiotics , Drug resistance in microorganisms , Hospitals -- Drug distribution systems -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4043 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004104 , Antibiotics , Drug resistance in microorganisms , Hospitals -- Drug distribution systems -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: Antibiotic resistance in clinical bacterial isolates remains an ongoing problem requiring continuous monitoring to effect some form of control. Comparative studies have not been previously reported for the Eastern Cape Region, South Africa and this study was undertaken to monitor resistance patterns in clinical isolates from Provincial Hospital, Port Elizabeth. Over the three year period 1989 to 1991, 9888 susceptibility results from isolates examined in the SAIMR pathology laboratory were analysed and collated using a stand-alone computer program. Resistance patterns for a range of nineteen antibiotics were collated for isolates from various sampling points within the hospital. Results were reported as resistance patterns in individually isolated species. Levels of resistance in each species were compared to those reported from South Africa and abroad, and changing patterns of resistance were noted within the three year period at the Provincial Hospital, Port Elizabeth.
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- Date Issued: 1993
Guidelines to the evaluation of selectively mined, open pit gold deposits during the exploration stage of mine creation
- Authors: Pelly, Frederick Douglas Peter
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: Mining geology , Gold ores -- Geology , Gold mines and mining -- Economic aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4970 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005582 , Mining geology , Gold ores -- Geology , Gold mines and mining -- Economic aspects
- Description: This dissertation studies the evaluation of selectively mined, open pit gold deposits during the exploration stage of the mine's life. Since 1970 a large number of selectively mined, open pit gold mines have come into operation. The most common deposits include epithermal vein, mesothermal lode and laterite gold deposits. In general the deposits are characterized by small tonnages (1-20 million tonnes), relatively high grades (2-10 grams per tonne gold), submicroscopic to coarse gold, inexpensive mining, and both free milling and refractory ores.The key components that require evaluating during the exploration period are the deposit's geology, ore reserves, pit design, ore metallurgy and environmental impact. Feasibility studies are the main vehicle by which to report and guide the exploration programme. During the exploration period a company may undertake an initial (geological feasibility), second (preliminary mine feasibility) and third (final feasibility) delineation programme in order to gather sufficient data to justify a mine development decision. The responsibility of evaluating the mineral prospect lies primarily with the exploration geologist and mining engineer. Broad experience, a professional attitude, a thorough understanding of mining economics, and a high level of geological, engineering and technical skills are traits required by the evaluators. In order for mining companies to make sound investment decisions the geographical, geological, mining, metallurgical, environmental, marketing, political and financial aspects affecting the economic potential of the venture must be integrated so that the likely costs, risks and returns of the investment alternative are quantified. Ultimately, it is the economic analysis of these three items that determine whether the mineral prospect is developed into a mine I delineated further I retained until economic circumstances improve, or abandoned. To assess the costs, risks and returns, extensive use of the risk analysis is advocated throughout the exploration period . When combined with intelligent judgement of the intangible risk elements, the probabilistic distribution of discounted cash flows are invaluable in making sound investment decisions. However, the economic analysis is only as good as the information on which it is founded. Accurate and representative field data is the most important prerequisite to successfully evaluating and developing a new mine.
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- Date Issued: 1992
Structural analysis of some Escherichia coli capsular antigens
- Authors: Hackland, Peter Linton
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: Antigens , Enterobacteriaceae , Escherichia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3758 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003236 , Antigens , Enterobacteriaceae , Escherichia
- Description: The work presented in this thesis forms part of a collaborative effort to determine the chemical structures of the surface antigens of bacteria which belong to the Enterobacteriaceae. These antigens are largely polysaccharides and occur as lipopolysaccharides and capsular polysaccharides which give rise to the somatic or 0 antigens and the capsular or K antigens, respectively. In recent years interest has mostly been focused on the extracellular polysaccharide antigens expressed by the genus Escherichia coli because of the effect they exert on normal immunological processes and their structural relatedness to the surface antigens of other more pathogenic bacteria. Therefore the molecular structures of the capsular polysaccharides (Kantigens)produced by E. coli 09:K35(AI04a) and 09:K38(A262a) have been determined by novel enzymic, chemical and spectroscopic procedures. These investigations show that the structures of these polysaccharides can be determined by a combination of chemical and spectroscopic procedures , or almost entirely by n.m.r. spectroscopy alone. The in vitro bacteriophage mediated depolymerisation of the native E. coli K35 polysaccharide demonstrates the value of this method for the isolation of oligosaccharides representing the repeating- unit and multiples thereof. Finally E. coli K37 and K38 capsular polysaccharides were used as model compounds for the evaluation of partial and selective reductive cleavage as methods of generating oligosaccharide for further structural analysis. The products of these reactions were analysed largely by a combination of mass spectrometric procedures.
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- Date Issued: 1992
The genesis and controls of gold mineralization south of Rehoboth, Namibia
- Authors: Whitfield, Derek
- Date: 1991
- Subjects: Gold ores -- Geology -- Namibia , Gold ores -- Geology -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4948 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005560 , Gold ores -- Geology -- Namibia , Gold ores -- Geology -- Africa, Southern
- Description: Gold mineralization is hosted within gossanous quartz-haematite veins in volcano-sedimentary lithologies of the Klein Aub - Rehoboth basin of the Irumide Belt, Namibia. Mineralization and hydrothermal alteration are restricted to deformed lithologies particularly the metasediments. Lithological relationships, geochemistry and metallogenic characteristics of the Irumide Belt suggest an intra-continental rift setting. Copper mineralization is well known along the length of the belt, from Klein Aub in the southwest to Ghanzi in the northeast, whereas gold mineralization appears restricted to the Klein Aub Rehoboth basin. The gold is envisaged as having being leached initially from graben fill sequences during rift closure and basin dewatering. Location of the mineralization is strongly controlled by structure and lithological contact zones. Such zones are percieved as having acted as conduit zones for escaping mineralized fluids during basin closure and deformation. Apart from the lack of an effective mineralizing trap, all features consistent with the development of an ore deposit are present. The largest mineralization traps within the area studied are shear zones followed by lithological contact zones. The Mebi and Blanks gold mines are developed over large shear zones while the Swartmodder and Neuras gold mines are situated over mineralized lithological contacts. The Swartmodder copper mine yielded ore from a mineralized schist enclave within granite. Copper and gold occurrences are attributed to two contrasting styles of mineralization. Copper mineralization is suggested to have developed during initial rifting of the belt (ie. stratabound sedimentary exhalative type), while the gold and minor copper resulted from rift closure and basin dewatering. Although no economical orebody was realized during the course of this study a model is proposed for the development of mineralization within the Irumide basement lithologies as a working hypothesis for future exploration.
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- Date Issued: 1991