University of KwaZulu-Natal

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    Mobilising Nigerian Pidgin English as a second language for communication and instruction in primary schools in Ajegunle, Lagos.

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    Research Articles. Criminology and Forensic Studies.The language question in former British colonies has been a topical issue in Africa. Independent African states still use English as one of the official languages long after the colonisers relinquished political power. The development of the Nigerian Pidgin English can be seen as a resistance to embrace the coloniser’s English. Nigeria being a colony of Britain and also inherited English language has evolved a second language called Pidgin English which has now pushed the official English language to becoming a third language while the indigenous language comes second in many cases. However, she has not been able to harness the potential of the Pidgin English. This paper therefore seeks to explore the mobilization of Pidgin English spoken by every ethnic group in Nigeria as a language of communication and also an instructional language for learners in primary school in Ajegunle, a multicultural, low income and populous township in central Lagos, the commercial hub of Nigeria. The paper will adopt a the sociocultural theory as a framework and desktop data collection approach by reviewing relevant literatures from Google Scholar, text books and media sources, review it with the effective communication model and educational learning theory and concluded that Pidgin English can be effective in the production of knowledge in Ajegunle community

    Assessment of mothers and preschool-age children's food and nutrition security status: a cross-sectional case study of North central zone, Nigeria.

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    Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Child and maternal nutrition are essential to any country's food and nutrition security, encompassing all the components of maternal and child growth, well-being, development, and productivity, as contained in the modified UNICEF 2020 conceptual framework on determinants of maternal and child nutrition. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), preschool children are regarded as being between 3 and 5 years old. This period entails intensive cognitive development in children, where developmental milestones that help shape their personality, interpersonal relationships, and thinking patterns are fostered; hence, the need to consume healthy meals following the recommended minimum dietary diversity requirements of at least five to eight food groups per day for children is a bedrock for positive health outcomes. The prevalence of nutrition-related maternal and child morbidity has continued to increase in recent times across many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) owing to several complex multifactorial and interrelated determinants. The complexity and interconnectedness of the determinants of maternal and child nutrition in developing countries, such as Nigeria, are yet to be well conceptualised and have become a public health issue due to the emerging triple burden of malnutrition (TBM) and the prevalence of diet-related non-communicable diseases ravaging the nation. Therefore, this study assessed the food and nutrition security status of mothers and their preschoolers in North Central Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive design and a multi-stage sampling technique were used to recruit 450 mother-child pairs (preschool children aged 3-5 years) across the North South senatorial district in Niger State, North Central Nigeria. Sociodemographic information and biodata of mothers and their preschoolers were collected using semi-structured questionnaires. Feeding patterns of mother-child pairs were assessed using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire based on 24-hour and 7-day dietary recall. The dietary diversity of households, mothers, and children was assessed using the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), Minimum Dietary Diversity Score for Children (MDD_C), and Minimum Dietary Diversity Score for women of reproductive age (MDD_W), respectively, as recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Family Health International (FHI) and World Health Organization (WHO). The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to assess the food insecurity status of the participants. Anthropometric indices of the preschoolers were assessed based on weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height indicators, while maternal anthropometry was assessed using body mass index (BMI) and waist/hip ratio. Maternal nutrition knowledge was assessed using a Likert-type scale. Retrieved information was analysed using SPSS version 28. Descriptive statistics are presented in tables and charts, while regression models were used for inferential statistics, with statistical significance being considered at a 95% confidence interval with a p-value of < 0.05. The study was conducted in two phases: the first phase considered an in-depth narrative literature review that evaluated the food and nutrition security status of preschool children in North Central, Nigeria, as well as the food insecurity and vulnerability of the food environment among Nigerian mothers. This study explored the literature using a qualitative approach and an overview of online sources, peer-reviewed articles, books, and other publications and relevant reports from official websites to investigate the concept of the food environment, food acquisition and utilisation complexities among Nigerian women, and the prevalence of food and nutrition insecurity and its determinants among preschool children. This review found that the global prevalence of the Triple Burden of Malnutrition (TBM) is alarming, especially among developing nations, affecting more women than men. Food acquisition and utilisation are important determinants of women’s food and nutritional security status. Full but empty plates have continued to be a dilemma among women from countries undergoing urbanisation and nutrition transitioning; hence, poor nutrient intake has been reported to account for the high risk of maternal morbidity and mortality related to nutritional causes in most developing countries, such as Nigeria. This revealed that the interconnectedness of the food environment to food acquisition and utilisation in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition as an innovative concept is yet to be well understood and explored in many studies across Nigeria. It also elucidates the drivers of poor dietary diversity, meal quality, and food consumption patterns among preschool children and possible health outcomes of compromised feeding patterns and the risk of non-communicable diseases and malnutrition among the study participants. In addition, the review also focused on the drivers of the food environment, food acquisition, nutrient utilisation, and the prevalence of TBM among women across the six geopolitical zones in the country. The high prevalence of malnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases in this study accounts for the high maternal and child morbidity and mortality rates, especially in many rural and poor households across the nation, thus becoming a significant public health concern. Some factors found to significantly impact food utilisation among women were food literacy, poverty, insurgence, lack of support systems, seasonality, and family size. To mitigate these challenges, efforts should be geared towards improving both the community and consumer food environments, thus ensuring the consumption of nutrientdense meals for optimal health outcomes and well-being, especially among women and preschool children living in rural areas, urban slums, and low-income households across the six geopolitical zones of the nation and among other developing nations experiencing food and nutrition insecurity around the world. The second phase was the experimental section and was divided into two parts: the first part explored the socioeconomic status, household food security status using the HFIAS and the feeding patterns of the preschool children using the qualitative 24 hour and 7-day dietary recall. Dietary diversity was assessed using the MDD_C, while the anthropometric indicators for under-five children were used to categorise the children into stunting, wasting, underweight, and normal weight. The results showed that the majority (76.4%) of the preschool children were from rural communities; more than half (51.8%) of the children were from mothers who had only Islamic education (no formal education), and only a few (1.2%) of the children were born to single mothers. Almost all (95.6%) of the children were from Islamic religious homes, and the majority (71.6%) of the mothers were unemployed, while 83.8% of the monthly household income was below N18,000 ($40), which is far below the national minimum income range of N36,000. Most (73.6%) of the children were from male-headed households. The predominant ethnic group was Nupe (68.4%), whereas the least dominant was Gwari (<1%). Most (98.8%) of the preschool children were from food-insecure households, and almost half (42.4% and 40.2%) of the preschool children were either moderately food insecure or severely food insecure, respectively. The severity of food insecurity increased with parity, and its prevalence was higher among children from multiparous and grand multiparous households. The most consumed food group among preschoolers was cereal-based food products, while the least consumed food groups were fruits and vegetables. This study also showed that over half (60.0%) of the preschoolers did not meet the minimum dietary diversity score (MDD_C) recommended for their age. The anthropometric indices of the preschool children showed that half (50.0%) of the children were stunted (height-for-age), 21.0% had wasting (weight-forheight), and 29.0% were underweight (22.2% were severely underweight) (weight-for-age). The logistic regression model showed that the socioeconomic status of mothers, such as education, income, religion, occupation, employment status, means of waste disposal, source of potable water (water suitable for human consumption), and water treatment methods, were associated with the household food insecurity status of the children and were associated with inadequacy in children’s MDD (p < 0.05). The second part of the experiment explored the contribution of maternal nutrition literacy to the nutritional status of mothers in Niger State, North Central Nigeria. The results showed that the majority (63.8%) of the mothers were between 26 and 35 years old. More than half (51.6%) of the mothers did not know what a balanced diet was based on the definitions provided in the questionnaire. Social media or online information was the most explored source of nutritional information among mothers (36.4 %). Fifty-four per cent of the mothers indicated that their nutrition literacy had no positive impact on their dietary quality. The food consumption pattern showed that fruits/vegetables, and dairy products were the least consumed food groups among the mothers (7.1% and 9.1%, respectively). More than half (57.6%) of the mothers were within the normal BMI range, and the mean waist/hip ratio was 0.82 ± 0.08. The regression model showed that place of residence, occupation, source of potable water, and method of waste disposal were significantly associated with adequacy of maternal minimum dietary diversity. Although nutrition knowledge has been reported to influence dietary quality among mothers, this study showed that other intrinsic factors besides nutrition knowledge significantly impacted the dietary quality and nutritional status of mothers in the study area. Therefore, to optimise health outcomes among mothers, stakeholders at all levels must implement programs and policies that address issues such as insurgence, inflation, climate change, disparity in wealth distribution, and seasonal vulnerability. In conclusion, the prevalence of food and nutrition insecurity was high among the participants due to poor socioeconomic status and poor food environment, thereby compromising the meal quality and consumption frequency of mothers and their preschoolers. Most mothers adopted the consumption of ultra-processed foods and beverages as coping strategies to salvage the impact of hunger and starvation, thereby predisposing them to the risk of TBM and NCDs among mothers and their preschool children. To mitigate these challenges, efforts should be geared towards addressing the determinants of food and nutrition insecurity with a multidimensional approach at the grassroots level and involving all stakeholders and policymakers, to enable a sustainable food system through nutrition-sensitive agriculture at the household and community level. Draught resistant and improved variety crops should be used to mitigate climate change impact on food access and affordability and thus, enhance adequate consumption of nutrient-dense meals for optimal health outcomes among the participants and across most food insecure developing nations

    Proof of principle of the first application of a hydroxyl-functionalized ionic liquid for the reactive extraction of carboxylic acids.

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    Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Abstract available in PDF

    A new ‘dance of agency’: an embodied engagement with material agency in artistic practice.

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    Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.My current body of work explores, and is rooted in, the issues and challenges surrounding posthuman performativity as part of the New Materialisms. These theories claim to offer a new way of making/knowing/being that is not anthropocentric. From this framework, I approach understandings of material agency that seek to go beyond human agency and “chasten my fantasies of human mastery”1. My objective is to investigate my ‘dance of agency’2 through a posthumanist lens, as I engage in an inter-epistemic dialogue, which seeks to undermine the traditional boundaries between the human, the animal, and the inanimate. This dialogue positions itself on the boundaries of many disciplines, namely physics, biological systems theory, psychology and chemistry, in an attempt to apply a posthumanist theory to the Visual Arts. Using my art practice and the exhibition, ‘Material Agency in the Anthropocene’, from my practice-led research, I explore my own, and society's vulnerability in a manner that pays attention to the powerful ‘being’ of nonhuman forces and materials and their inherent entropic ‘messiness’. Given the scope and scale of current non-human agencies, such as viral, biological and climate change factors, I suggest that this area of research into a new 'dance of agency' between the human and the non-human could be of contemporary value

    Understanding the pandemic, mitigating the risks, and building a resilient future.

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    Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.COVID-19, or coronavirus disease 2019, is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The disease first emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and has since become a global pandemic, affecting millions of people worldwide. COVID-19 can cause mild to severe respiratory symptoms, including fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, and can lead to serious complications, especially in vulnerable populations such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions

    Exploring the intersections of gender, religion, and, culture when engaging the Pokot-Turkana conflict in Kenya between 1963 and 2015.

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    Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.The Sahel region and East Africa has shown sustained levels of inter-pastoral violent conflicts with associated potential impacts on their livelihoods. One such conflict is the Turkana-Pokot cross-border conflict that has become the norm. Despite disarmament operations initiated by the government of Kenya, peace-building meetings, and workshops led by the Catholic dioceses of Kitale and Lodwar, insecurity in the region continues to prevail. This study explored the intersections of gender, religion, and culture when engaging the Pokot-Turkana conflict in Kenya between 1963 and 2015 and had three objectives: to trace the nature of the conflict along the Pokot-Turkana in general; to interrogate how the Catholic Church has been involved in the conflict management process and how it could enhance its engagement with those affected by the Pokot-Turkana conflict when appropriating an intersectional gender-sensitive paradigm for conflict resolution; and to examine how an intersectional gender-critical analysis of the conflict could contribute to a better understanding of the Pokot-Turkana conflict and possible interventions. The researcher applied a combination of theoretical frameworks in addressing the research questions. They included: Protracted Social Conflict (PSC) theory by Edward Azar (1990) in analyzing the nature and persistence of the Pokot-Turkana conflict, Pankhurst and Pearce's steps in engendering a disciplined framework to address the gender aspect missing in conflict management theory by Azar's PSC, and Kanyoro's feminists' cultural hermeneutics theoretical framework to address the intersection of gender, culture, and religion. Data was collected through random/probability and non-random/non-probability sampling techniques. Under random/probability sampling, cluster and stratified sampling were used, while under non-random/non-probability, purposive sampling was used. Research instruments used in data collection were questionnaires, interview guides, and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Data analysis was done manually and presented in tables. The questionnaires, interview guides, and FGDs were qualitatively analyzed. The findings included the Roman Catholic church's role in managing the conflict, the cultural gender roles sustaining the conflict, and the role of culture as a pawn and a resource in conflict management. The research established that the government interventions failed in mitigation efforts due to poor conflict resolution strategies caused by factors not in tandem with the local perceptions, beliefs, expectations, and needs of the affected communities. This study recommends that the Catholic Church and the council of elders develop a common conflict management framework. Peace in the grassroots model by the late bishop Korir was reviewed, enhanced, and recommended

    Learning to care: nurses’ experiences of learning in a quality improvement intervention in uMgungundlovu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

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    Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.This study examined nurses' experiences of a quality improvement (QI) intervention to increase the identification and treatment of children and adolescents with HIV in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Despite the high prevalence of HIV in the country, progress in the paediatric population lags behind that of adults. The study employed a basic qualitative research design within the interpretivist paradigm to understand nurses' perceptions of QI in nursing care. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and the photovoice method and analysed using a data-driven inductive approach and deductive analysis. The study adopted Kolb’s experiential learning theory to theorise the findings that revealed that although the QI training was successful, the layout and mentoring processes did not facilitate the sustainability of the developed skills. Barriers to providing good clinical management of children and adolescents with HIV included a lack of institutionalisation and sustainability of the QI intervention and a non-conducive environment. This study highlights the importance of equipping healthcare workers with QI skills to improve healthcare quality and contribute to good health outcomes in the paediatric population. Based on the findings, the project was recommended to revise the training layout and adopt mentoring processes to develop sustainable interventions

    An investigation of the post-school educational experiences of black, poor students with disabilities in one Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

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    Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Section 29 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) emphasises that the state "must make gradually available and accessible" the right to higher education by reasonable methods. Despite wide pledges indicated in policies and legislation addressing the needs of formerly disadvantaged students with disabilities, the literature from the field of social justice education reveals that many of them continue to experience problems in higher education. This study aimed to explore the post-school educational experiences of Black students with disabilities from low socio-economic backgrounds at one Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College in Northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The study further aimed to investigate the factors that facilitate or impede their participation and success, as well as how they navigate these factors. A qualitative narrative approach was employed to explore seven students’ personal and college experiences from diverse rural District Municipalities. In-depth, semi structured narrative interviews, together with photo-voice, was used to generate data that explored their positioning. Three main themes emerged from the analysis which revealed elements that either restrict or promote the experience of access, participation, and success of students with disabilities. These are academic, sociocultural, and access. According to information obtained from the seven students, these three areas have a significant impact on how the majority of the TVET College's students with disabilities perceive their educational experience. A thorough investigation into the experiences of students with disabilities revealed that factors such as their social position, class status, the college's infrastructure, peers and faculty support, self-motivation, the college's proximity, the influence of their families or friends, the nature of the curriculum, and the attitudes of peers or /and college staff toward their disabilities all played a role in whether they had a positive or negative experience at TVET college. The significant impact of these findings is that… Findings reveal that the college must implement measures that facilitate [inclusive] experiences [for] students with disabilities. The findings also reveal what helps them navigate these impeding factors is their self-motivation

    Characterization of Candida isolates from South African pregnant and non-pregnant women.

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    Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Candida infections are a serious health threat to women. Characterization of Candida isolates has become the gold standard method used in determining antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and resistance mechanisms in vaginal Candida infections. However, there is a lack of data on the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of South African Candida isolates to amphotericin B. This study investigated antimicrobial resistance profiles and genotypes of Candida isolated from South African pregnant and non-pregnant women. This study was a sub-study of a larger study which involved the diagnosis of vaginitis and vaginosis pathogens in women. For the parent study, n=150 women were recruited from the King Edward VIII hospital in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The women enrolled in the parent study were; 18 years and older, were willing to provide written informed consent and were willing to provide self-collected vaginal swabs. A total of 72 Candida isolates were obtained by culture. Of the 72 isolates, 31 isolates were obtained from pregnant women and 41 isolates were from non-pregnant women. The isolates were typed using the ABC genotyping method. Susceptibility testing was performed using the broth microdilution assay to measure the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for clinical isolates to amphotericin B. The Candida albicans ATCC 10231 strain was used as a control strain, and untreated cultures of the respective isolates were used as growth controls. Descriptive characteristics of the study participants according to Candida status were presented as frequencies and percentages. Comparisons by Candida status in the descriptive characteristics were performed using Chi square tests with a 5% significance level. P-values ≤0.05 were considered significant. All analyses were conducted using STATA. The prevalence of Candida in the study population was 48.0% (72/150). All the isolates (100%) were confirmed to be C. albicans as per the germ tube test and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers and probes specific for C. albicans. All 72 isolates (100%) produced positive PCR results for C. albicans. The majority of the isolates (45/72; 62.5%) yielded a 450bp band which was assigned Genotype A. Of the 72 isolates, 19 isolates (26.4%) yielded a band size of 840bp and was assigned Genotype B. A total of 11.1% (8/72) of the isolates yielded band sizes of 450bp and 840bp which was Genotype C. Of the 72 isolates tested, 79.2% (57/72) of the isolates were resistant to amphotericin B (MIC >1ug/ml) and 20.8% (15/72) of the isolates were susceptible to amphotericin B (MIC ≤ 1 ug/ml). When linking MIC patterns to distribution of genotypes, it was observed that the majority (80%) of the isolates which were assigned genotype A were resistant to amphotericin B. When linking clinical symptoms with the distribution of genotypes, it was observed that the majority (58.8%) of women who reported having current symptoms of abnormal vaginal discharge carried genotype A. Genotype A was most prevalent in women who had been treated for vaginal infections in the past and in women who were HIV positive with prevalence of 64.1% and 60.8%, respectively. genotype A was most prevalent in the non-pregnant women with a prevalence of 63.4%. Genotype A was prevalent (61.3%) amongst the pregnant women and the majority (66.7%) of the HIV negative women had Candida infections which belonged to genotype A. The prevalence of Candida was shown to be high in both pregnant and non-pregnant women in this study. This study also found a high level of resistance to the antifungal amphotericin B. Currently in our local setting, resistance patterns to the commonly used antifungals to treat Candida infections are not being monitored. There is a need for antifungal resistance monitoring in order to reduce the risk of future persistent and untreatable infections

    Exploring the experiences of young women’s transition from childhood to adulthood: case study of Inanda Township in Durban.

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    Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The transition from childhood to adulthood is well known in the human race because it is inevitable that humans grow. This phenomenon is simple yet complex because people transition to adulthood at some stage of human development. Its complexity comes from the fact that, while there may be personal and societal factors determining the process, the experience turns out to be unique for each individual. Social factors, personal choices and experiences have been noted by various scholars as infusing the uniqueness in the experience of the transition of young people to adulthood. The researcher was drawn to explore the experiences of young women's transition to adulthood at Inanda Township. The interest started with the question of what it takes for a girl child to become an adult at Inanda Township. The researcher was intrigued mainly by dynamic nature of factors in this area that make the transition unique and how they shape the young person’s experience. Location played a huge role in the study in various ways. The gendered nature of transition to adulthood is worth noting. There is a greater vulnerability in women compared to men. The world still regards women as significantly more vulnerable compared to their male counterparts. The researcher wanted to explore how female children experience their transition to adulthood, specifically in South African townships. While there is much controversy around the age of the transition to adulthood, the study findings revealed that young women of Inanda describe the transitional stage to adulthood as ranging from the age of 16 up to 21. In this period, the main focus of the young person is acquiring an education. Financial challenges were the leading contributory factors of the derailment of young people from achieving their goals. There was also an indication of a lack of support from some parents during this period, the participants regarded as making them vulnerable. As a result, some young women find themselves having to navigate life without proper guidance. Some find themselves engaging in activities that the law and culture regard as privileges for adults such as sex, drugs and alcohol. The state of Inanda Township was mentioned as influencing how young women transition to adulthood. The lack of economic activities and the high unemployment rate in the area makes it less motivating for young women transitioning to adulthood. There are notable cultural influences on young women's transition, which inflicted stricter rules towards women than men

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