Research Publications (Health Sciences)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/216

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Are point-of-decision prompts in a sports science and medicine centre effective in changing the prevalence of stair usage? : a preliminary study
(2009) Pillay, Julian David; Kolbe-Alexander, Tracy; Achmat, Masturah; Carstens, Madelaine; Lambert, Estelle V.
Objective. To determine the impact of a signed intervention on promoting stair versus lift usage in a health and fitness facility. Design. A 3-week observational study in which a simple timeseries design of collecting data before, during and after the introduction of an intervention was used. Setting. The Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA): a 5-storey building with a centrally located lift lobby and internal stairwell. Method. Observers were placed unobtrusively on the ground floor, with good visibility of lift/stairwell, to observe ascending movement of students, staff, tenants, visitors and patients 4 hours/day (07h00 - 09h00, 16h00 - 18h00), 4 days/week for 3 weeks. During week 2, motivational signs were displayed on the wall next to the lift and stairs and on the floor leading to the stairwell. In week 3, signage was removed. Factors considered in predicting stair use were gender, phase of intervention, and whether persons were staff/students or visitors. Results. A total of 4 256 person-counts were recorded. Prevalence of stair use increased from 43% before the intervention to 53% during the intervention to 50% after the intervention. Odds of using the stairs during the intervention increased by 45% (odds ratio (OR) 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25 - 1.68) (p<0.00001), were 41% higher for staff/students compared with visitors (p<0.00001) and were 55% greater for women (p<0.00001). These effects did not change significantly after the intervention and stair use remained modestly higher than before the intervention. Conclusion. Signed intervention produced significant increases in stair usage during and after the intervention. These findings support the effectiveness of point-of-decision prompts for changing behaviour, and highlight potential factors influencing the impact of such messages.
COIL4COIL : building expertise and capacity in faculty at Durban University of Technology, South Africa
(Erasmus+ National Agency for EU Higher Education Cooperation, DAAD, 2020-05) Orton, Penelope Margaret; Cooke, Lesley Anne; Morton, Joel
Durban University of Technology (DUT) has, as two of its strategic objectives, internationalisation of the curriculum and e learning. In pursuit of these two strategic objectives, DUT became the first African university to join the State University of New York (SUNY) Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) global network in 2016. At DUT, the graduate attributes include critical and creative thinkers who work independently and collaboratively, knowledgeable practitioners, effective communicators, culturally, environmentally and socially aware within a local and global context and active and reflective learners. COIL/Virtual Engagement (VE) offers opportunities to develop these attributes in students and enhances their soft skills, which are so necessary in the workplace. COIL/VE has allowed students and academic staff from DUT to engage in collaborative learning experiences using technology and to date we have had approximately 20 projects across different departments and collaborating with programmes in New York State, Mexico, Brazil and the Netherlands. DUT is currently, expanding their international partnering network beyond the SUNY COIL network. When new ideas and ways of doing things, changes are introduced it is suggested that the innovators, those who jump on board first, are approximately 2.5% of the staff, then the early adopters are approximately 13.5% of the staff and the early majority 34%. This is an indication of work that needs to be done, in the University to get academic staff to embrace the concept of COIL/VE and introduce projects into their programmes and modules. In an effort to roll out COIL/VE to the academic fraternity at DUT, we have adopted a number of initiatives with mixed success. A COIL Clinic is held every week which is a “drop in” opportunity where academic staff can drop in to have a chat about COIL/VE – partnering, instructional design, ideas they may have or just an opportunity to explore the concept a little more. Varieties of workshops are held where the concept of COIL/VE is explained, some ideas of the use of technology are shared and participants have time to discuss and conceptualise a project for themselves. In some workshops, academic staff who have had successful projects are invited to share their experience with participants. There are occasions where the COIL/VE project has resulted in inbound mobility of an international partner and their expertise and/or experience is shared with DUT academic staff. In order to develop academic staff capacity a blended short course was developed to run over 5 weeks but was not a great success and this needs to be reconsidered and redesigned. A face-to-face session was held which was well attended but the online component was not well “attended.” Following this and in discussion with a European colleague an activity was offered once off between a European university, one in the United States and DUT. Academic staff were invited to a virtual meeting on Zoom and they had a short introduction to COIL/VE and then went into “breakout rooms” to discuss with international colleagues ideas for possible projects. Following which they all came back together and shared some of the discussions. From this exercise academic staff were encouraging the formation of a community of practice which would meet regularly. One of the constraints with the North South partnerships is the semester differences. In the Northern Hemisphere the 1st semester is from September through to about March/April. In the Southern Hemisphere the 1st semester is from February to June. This means that the first half of the year is a better time to collaborate North South with project development happening in the second half of the year for Implementation in the next year. This is true for the collaboration on staff development too where from June to September staff are away on vacation at various times during those 3 months. The last activity, which we have suggested as a strategy, to develop academic staff capacity is a journal club. This activity would help engage academic staff in the pedagogy and scholarship of COIL/VE and would go some way to developing the scholarship opportunities emanating out of COIL/VE projects. DUT COIL/VE is supported by an Educational Technologist who is able to assist academic staff with technology that assists with academic development in the use of technology in teaching. Durban University of Technology is in the initial stages of its COIL/VE trajectory and has so far, tapped into the 2.5% of teaching innovators and now needs to move the initiative into developing the next level of academic staff who, could be considered, early adopters. The opportunities to develop a community of practice and a community of enquiry, to progress the use of models and frameworks to teach with technology and to develop the scholarship of teaching and learning in COIL/VE are exciting.
Creating affinity spaces through Instagram to enhance students’ virtual learning exchanges in a Green Dentistry Project
(Society for Research and Knowledge Management, 2022-12-30) Vahed, Anisa; de Souza, Fábio Barbosa
Infusing Instagram® into higher education teaching, learning and assessment practices proliferates the literature as an ally for students to have meaningful learning experiences. There is limited evidence, however, of its use in transforming dental education practices, specifically collaborative online learning of eco-dentistry practices. The purpose of this paper is to assess the Dental Technology (n=23) and Dentistry (n=10) students’ opinions about and reflections on their experiences of using Instagram® in a Green Dentistry Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Virtual Exchange Project (VEP). An interpretive research paradigm and a descriptive case study research design within a qualitative framework were used. Students’ open-ended responses to the challenges and benefits of using Instagram® and their reflective reports of their COIL VEP experiences were thematically analyzed. Three main themes emerged namely, familiarity with using Instagram®; educational benefits of using Instagram®; and lack of supportive infrastructure. Using Instagram® to create affinity spaces for students to experience meaningful learning in a COIL VEP can intensify their focus, amplify their attention, and exemplify the application of theoretical concepts to professional-based practice. These findings suggest that Instagram® used in COIL VEPs requires a rethink of the curriculum and delivery, particularly supporting the principles of preserving the confidentiality and privacy of patients online. There is limited evidence of globally distributed teams learning about eco-friendly dentistry through a COIL VEP. This nuanced internationalizing at home, pedagogical and assessment approach enables students to co-create and share disciplinary knowledge while improving their interpersonal and intercultural skills.
Enhancing education through community engagement : perspectives of student volunteers
(2023) Kell, C. M.; Haffejee, Firoza; Ducray, J. F.
Background. Engagement between higher education institutions and underprivileged communities holds valuable potential for mutual benefit. In a country of vast inequalities such as South Africa (SA), community engagement also has the potential, via health promotion of local communities, to alleviate some of the burden placed on the public healthcare system, while simultaneously strengthening the personal and professional development of student participants. Objective. To explore the experiences, perceptions and insights of student volunteers (SVs) who assisted with a collaborative health-promotion project. Methods. This qualitative study used thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of six SVs in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Durban University of Technology, SA, who assisted in educating local vulnerable women on various aspects of female reproductive health at a wellness day for such women. Results. The SVs described the experience as positive and humbling, enhancing their professional and personal development. They reported that the community engagement helped them to define themselves and to grow skills they will need as future practitioners. The exposure to the challenges faced by vulnerable groups helped them to develop a sense of empathy and compassion, while igniting an eagerness to empower these groups through improved health literacy. Conclusion. The insights provided by this qualitative exploration strongly support the use of community engagement to develop culturally sensitive, empathetic healthcare practitioners.
Ethical and methodological reflections : digital storytelling of self-care with students during the COVID-19 pandemic at a South African University
(Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2023-01) Gumede, Dumile; Sibiya, Maureen Nokuthula
The enforcement of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions disrupted the traditional face-to-face qualitative data collection in public health. The pandemic forced qualitative researchers to transition to remote methods of data collection such as digital storytelling. Currently, there is a limited understanding of ethical and methodological challenges in digital storytelling. We, therefore, reflect on the challenges and solutions for implementing a digital storytelling project on self-care at a South African university during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by Salmon's Qualitative e-Research Framework, reflective journals were used in a digital storytelling project between March and June 2022. We documented the challenges of online recruitment, obtaining informed consent virtually, and collecting data using digital storytelling as well as the efforts of overcoming the challenges. Our reflections identified major challenges, namely online recruitment and informed consent compromised by asynchronous communication; participants' limited research knowledge; participants' privacy and confidentiality concerns; poor internet connectivity; quality of digital stories; devices with a shortage of storage space; participants' limited technological skills; and time commitment required to create digital stories. Strategies adopted to address these challenges included an ongoing informed consent process; flexible timelines for the creation of digital stories; one-on-one guidance on creating digital stories; and multiple online platforms to share digital stories. Our critical reflection offers practical guidance for the ethical conduct of digital storytelling in public health research and makes a significant contribution to methodological considerations for use in future pandemics. These ethical and methodological challenges should be recognized as features of the context of the research setting including restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic than disadvantages of digital storytelling.
Evidence of application of the Basic Antenatal Care principles of good care and guidelines in pregnant women’s antenatal care records
(AOSIS Publishing, 2016-05-31) Ngxongo, Thembelihle Sylvia Patience; Sibiya, Maureen Nokuthula; Gwele, Nomthandazo S.
Background: Basic Antenatal Care (BANC) is an approach that is used in the public health institutions of South Africa to provide health care services to pregnant women. The approach was introduced as a quality improvement strategy based on the belief that good quality Antenatal Care (ANC) could reduce maternal and perinatal mortalities and improve maternal health. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyse pregnant women’s ANC records for evidence suggesting that the BANC principles of good care and guidelines were being applied. Setting: The study was conducted in the 12 primary health care clinics that were providing ANC services using the BANC approach in eThekwini district, KwaZulu-Natal. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative design was used to conduct the study. Data were collected through retrospective record review of 1200 maternity case records of the pregnant women who had attended for ANC services three or more times and was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. Results: The majority of the processes detailed in the guidelines and principles of good care were evident in the records. However, several were missing or recorded in few reviews. These included the ANC plan, delivery plan, midwives’ counter signatures on the cards, assessment for foetal congenital abnormalities, and consent for HIV testing. Conclusion: The study identified evidence of incomplete application of the BANC principles of good care and guidelines in pregnant women’s antenatal care records which indicated that the BANC approach was not being successfully implemented. Recommendations were made with regards to policy development, institutional management and practise, nursing education, and further research to assist in successful implementation of the BANC approach in line with the guidelines and principles of good care.
Experiences of critical care nurses of death and dying in an intensive care unit : a phenomenological study
(OMICS Publishing Group, 2014) Sibiya, Maureen Nokuthula; Naidoo, Vasanthrie
Background: Working in the intensive care unit can be traumatic for nursing personnel. Critical care nurses are faced with repeated exposure to death and dying as they are involved in caring for patients who are actively dying, have a terminal illness or face impending death. These nurses relate in different ways to the phenomena of death and dying within their nursing profession and their scope of practice. Critical care nurses often have a difficult time coping with the stress that comes with caring for those who are dying or relating to loved ones of those that are dying. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to explore the critical care nurse’s experiences of death and dying. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive phenomenological research approach was used to guide the study. Approval to conduct the study was obtained from Durban University of Technology Faculty Research Committee, the eThekwini District Health Research Unit, and the Nursing Service Manager of the participating hospital. The study population comprised of nurses working in the Critical care unit of the participating hospital. Results: Findings of this study revealed that issues such as communication, multicultural diversity, education and coping mechanisms relating to caring for the critically ill and dying patient are essential in nursing education and practice. Conclusions : Critical care nurses need to have support networks in place, not only to assist in providing care, but also for their own emotional support and well-being.
Experiences of facilitators regarding the extended curriculum programme offered at a higher education institution in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa
(AOSIS, 2018-09-20) Sibiya, Maureen Nokuthula; Mahlanze, Hazel Thokozani
BACKGROUND: Much like the rest of the world, student access and success are primary concerns of the South African higher education institutions, especially in the face of data that suggest that up to 50% of students do not successfully complete their course of study. Despite compulsory and free basic education for all South Africans, and increased government funding for education, there has been little impact on learner performance and the majority of primary schools remain poor. To improve access and success and in keeping with international practice, the Department of Nursing at the selected university of technology in 2013 offered for the first time the extended curriculum programme (ECP). To date, the impact of the programme has never been evaluated. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of the facilitators regarding ECP in the undergraduate nursing programme. METHOD: Guided by this, the current article describes a qualitative exploration of the experiences of six purposively selected facilitators regarding ECP in the Department of Nursing. In-depth interviews were conducted with the ECP facilitators. Tesch's method was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged from the data: stigmatisation and lack of confidence, lack of self-will, additional workload of facilitators and gradual improvement of students' performance. The participants reported that although students displayed and verbalised negative attitude towards the ECP, the performance of students showed gradual improvement and thus a need to continue to offer the programme to increase access and success in higher education institutions. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that ECP should continue to increase access and success in higher education institutions; however, there is a need for additional resources to support ECP students.
Experiences of facilitators regarding the extended curriculum programme offered at a higher education institution in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa
(AOSIS, 2018-09-20) Sibiya, Maureen Nokuthula; Mahlanze, Hazel Thokozani
Much like the rest of the world, student access and success are primary concerns of the South African higher education institutions, especially in the face of data that suggest that up to 50% of students do not successfully complete their course of study. Despite compulsory and free basic education for all South Africans, and increased government funding for education, there has been little impact on learner performance and the majority of primary schools remain poor. To improve access and success and in keeping with international practice, the Department of Nursing at the selected university of technology in 2013 offered for the first time the extended curriculum programme (ECP). To date, the impact of the programme has never been evaluated. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of the facilitators regarding ECP in the undergraduate nursing programme. METHOD: Guided by this, the current article describes a qualitative exploration of the experiences of six purposively selected facilitators regarding ECP in the Department of Nursing. In-depth interviews were conducted with the ECP facilitators. Tesch's method was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged from the data: stigmatisation and lack of confidence, lack of self-will, additional workload of facilitators and gradual improvement of students' performance. The participants reported that although students displayed and verbalised negative attitude towards the ECP, the performance of students showed gradual improvement and thus a need to continue to offer the programme to increase access and success in higher education institutions. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that ECP should continue to increase access and success in higher education institutions; however, there is a need for additional resources to support ECP students.
From dental bite to dental bytes : students’ experiences of a game-based project
(Academic Conferences and Publishing International Limited, 2016-10) Vahed, Anisa
Globally, universities are focused on developing their graduates with attributes that will enable them to make a productive contribution to a knowledge-based economy. In responding to this, the Durban University of Technology in South Africa proposes four key graduate attributes that students need to exemplify: critical and creative thinkers who work independently and collaboratively; knowledgeable practitioners; active and reflective learners; and effective communicators. To facilitate the attainment of these skills lecturers are encouraged to use student-centred teaching practices. Project-Based Learning is one such approach that can facilitate the attainment of the aforementioned attributes. It is against this background that a web-based game project called Dental Bytes emerged. This involved the transdisciplinary collaboration between a Dental Technologist, eight third-year Information Technology (IT) students and their lecturer. This paper uses the Framework for the Rational Analysis of Technology Education (FRATE) model, which is an adapted version of the Framework for the Rational Analysis of Mobile Education (FRAME) model, to explore students' interdisciplinary leaning experiences of designing and developing Dental Bytes. The developmental phase of the game is presented in order to demonstrate how project-based approaches foster highly engaging learning experiences that are problem-centred and pedagogically sound. A case study research design within a qualitative framework was adopted. Data was collected by means of students' reflective reports, which were analysed in terms of the Interaction Learning Intersection frame of the FRATE model. Essentially, this project facilitated the epistemological development of students by providing them with a real world scenario of working with a client to enhance their information technology knowledge. Furthermore, this project assisted with developing their skills, abilities and dispositions to help them make informed decisions; self-manage their tasks (including their learning of Dental Technology); and to act in a socially responsible way both within, and beyond, the classroom. Overall, the salient features of this paper show that the IT project facilitated the attainment of graduate attributes, which is a bedrock of student centeredness and engagement.
Stakeholder knowledge and attitudes toward the use of predictive genetic testing in South Africa
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2022-12) Naidoo, Levani; Reddy, Poovendhree
The use of predictive genetic testing, particularly for risk profiling in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), has the potential to benefit public health by decreasing the disease burden and alleviating the pressure on healthcare. It is thus important to assess knowledge and uptake among stakeholders. This study aimed to assess end users' (community, medical practitioners and medical students) knowledge and attitudes regarding the use and support of genomic medicine. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) among 3 groups of stakeholders (n = 170): medical practitioners from both private and public healthcare, medical students from UKZN and community members represented by teachers. Three structured questionnaires using a Likert scale were administered. Responses were stratified by practice type, and a scoring scale was developed. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce data on all constructs that made up each variable. All three groups showed adequate knowledge and a positive attitude towards use, apart from medical students who were not as keen to support future use in their own practice. Although medical practitioners supported the use of this technology, with necessary guidelines, expertise and affordability, only 18% from private practice reported having used it. PCA reduced data to fewer parsimonious constructs for all 3 groups: common threads included an awareness that genetic testing may improve health and disease outcomes; guidelines for use; and the provision of education to increase awareness, training to bolster expertise and confidence to use these services. Participants in this study attributed a lack of uptake to limited expertise and professional support, and a lack of legislative guidelines. We recommend updating continuing professional development for medical practitioners and promoting community education concomitantly. Provision of guidelines and increased accessibility to resources are important.
Status of usage of Information Communications Technology by academic staff at a selected nursing training institution in South Africa
(Kamla-Raj Publications, 2015) Maharaj, S.; Mshunquane, N.; Puckree, Threethambal
Advances in information communications technology (ICT) has impacted every sphere of human life including the training of health care professionals and the delivery of health care. Training institutions have incorporated ICT into all spheres of student life and delivery in varying degrees. This study determined the status of usage of ICT by academic staff in a selected nurse training college in South Africa. Questionnaires were administered to 95 academic staff at the selected institution. The majority of academics at rural (86%) and urban (96%) campuses had access to a desktop computer and printer. Personal cellphones were used to communicate with students and colleagues using Facebook (15-20%) and SMS (43-58%). Staff had limited access to internet service or to electronic systems for student administration or research (<10%). Despite advances in ICT usage in nursing education globally, challenges exist in adopting it in the selected training institution.
Utilisation of maternal health services and its impact on maternal mortality rate : a case for KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
(UNISA Press, 2023-01-01) Naranjee, Nellie; Naidoo, Vasanthrie; Krishna, Suresh Babu Naidu; Jinabhai, Champaklal C.; Sibiya, Maureen N.
Despite several strategies in place in South Africa and globally to prevent maternal mortality and morbidity, maternal deaths remain high, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and lower to middle-income countries. The aim of the study was to identify the challenges that lead to pregnant women’s delays in seeking antenatal care (ANC) early and to find strategies to prevent such delays, contributing to a reduction of maternal deaths in South Africa. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase one analysed data on maternal deaths collected by the District Health Information System (DHIS) of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health from all 11 districts over a 10-year period (2009–2019). The data on maternal deaths revealed that there was a very high maternal mortality rate; between 800 and 1 780 per 100 000 live births. This correlated with very low antenatal visits; between 695–895 per 100 000 live births. In phase two, a literature review was conducted using several computer-assisted databases, bibliographies and websites to identify and source current policies. The literature review presents causes of delay in seeking ANC and strategies to prevent maternal deaths. Recommendations were made to consider strengthening education and awareness related to family planning; women empowerment through community health programmes and change in healthcare providers’ behaviours and attitudes; ensuring availability of maternal health resources; and developing strategies to ensure that the ANC services delivered are in line with the South African Department of Health Guidelines.