Prevalence of obesity and associated risk factors among children and adolescents in the Eastern Cape Province

Obesity is a global public health concern that begins in childhood and is on the rise among people aged 18 and up, with substantial health consequences that offer socioeconomic challenges at all levels, from households to governments. Obesity and associated risk factors were investigated in children and adolescents in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Mt Frere among 209 conveniently selected participants using anthropometric measurements and a structured questionnaire. Chi-squared statistics or Fisher’s exact test were used to evaluate the risk factors predicting different outcomes such as hypertension or diabetes mellitus

Prevalence of Obesity and Associated Risk Factors among Children and Adolescents in the Eastern Cape Province

Obesity is a global public health concern that begins in childhood and is on the rise among people aged 18 and up, with substantial health consequences that offer socioeconomic challenges at all levels, from households to governments. Obesity and associated risk factors were investigated in children and adolescents in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Mt Frere among 209 conveniently selected participants using anthropometric measurements and a structured questionnaire. Chi-squared statistics or Fisher’s exact test were used to evaluate the risk factors predicting different outcomes such as hypertension or diabetes mellitus. A 5% level of significance was used for statistical significance (p-value 0.05). The prevalence of overweight or obesity among females when using waist circumference (2.7%), triceps skinfold (6.9%), and body mass index cut-offs (16.4%) were respectively higher when compared to those of males. About 89% engaged in physical activities. After school, 53% watched television. About 24.9% of participants did not eat breakfast. Most of overweight or obese participants (92.9%) brought pocket money to school. Use of single anthropometric measurements for assessing nutritional status indicated inconclusive results. Strengthening parental care, motivation for consumption of breakfast and limiting pocket money for children going to school are important steps to improve child health

Perceptions of School Management on the Relationship between School Nutrition and Development of Non-Communicable Diseases in a Rural South African District: A Qualitative Study

Globally, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) were responsible for 41 million deaths in 2016, with the majority of these occurring in low- and middle-income countries. These diseases are on the rise as a result of unhealthy, low-quality, and unbalanced diets, which have resulted in overweight and obesity. The National School Nutrition Program (NSNP) was created to regulate the foods sold to schoolchildren. The aim of this study was to ascertain school management teams’ perspectives on the relationship between the NSNP and the development of lifestyle diseases. A phenomenological qualitative study using focus group discussions among 16 purposively selected members of the school management teams were conducted in Mt Frere, Eastern Cape in 2016. The narrative data were analyzed using Tesch’s eight-phase thematic analysis approach. The data analysis revealed two themes (NSNP and the vendor system) and six sub-themes. The NSNP was viewed as making a significant contribution to children’s food security, thereby improving academic output. However, reengineering of the NSNP was needed through improved budgeting and inclusion of breakfast in the menu to control NCDs risk factors. The current implementation of the vendor system did not support reduction of NCDs risk factors. Improved implementation of the guide to the vendor system is needed

Perceptions of Pregnant Women on Traditional Health Practices in a Rural Setting in South Africa

Though there are prenatal and perinatal protocols across the African continent, traditional practices are commonly used. Improving maternal health requires an understanding of local cultural approaches and traditional health systems. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of pregnant mothers of various ages and gravidities towards traditional maternal health practices during pregnancy. A descriptive phenomenological study was carried out with 27 purposively selected pregnant women from the King Sabatha Dalindyebo health sub-district. Discussion from three focus groups yielded three major themes and eight sub-themes. Content analysis revealed strong opinions and support for traditional practices. Although specialist practitioners were mentioned, family members were the primary source of information on traditional perinatal health practices. African mahogany bark, herbal decoctions, and holy water were allegedly used to treat labor pains, postnatal care, and the warding off of evil spirits. During pregnancy, these were thought to be beneficial and necessary. Nonetheless, the protection of some traditional practices’ know-how prevents integration of the traditional health system into the national health system. Consequently, there is a need for dialogue to facilitate the exchange of ideas on maternal health between the two health systems in order to facilitate more efficient policy formulation and implementation

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Sex Workers of Three South African Towns towards Female Condom Use and Contraceptives

Female sex workers are a marginalized and highly vulnerable population who are at risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, harassment, and unplanned pregnancies. Various female condoms are available to mitigate the severity of the consequences of their work. However, little is known about the acceptability and usage of female condoms and contraceptives among sex workers in small South African towns. This descriptive cross-sectional study of conveniently selected sex workers explored the acceptability and usage of female condoms and contraceptives among sex workers in South Africa using validated questionnaires. The data were analyzed using STATA 14.1. The 95% confidence interval is used for precision, and a p-value ≤ 0.05 is considered significant. Out of 69 female-only participants, 49.3% were unemployed, 53.6% were cohabiting, and 30.4% were HIV positive. The median age of entry into sex work was 16 years old. Participants reported use of condoms in their last 3 sexual encounters (62.3%), preference of Implanon for contraception (52.2%), barriers to condom use (81.2%), condoms not being accepted by clients (63.8%), being difficult to insert (37.7%), and being unattractive (18.8%). Participants who reported barriers to condom use were 90% more likely to have adequate knowledge than those who did not (PR = 1.9; p-value < 0.0001). Knowledge of condom use was an important factor in determining knowledge of barriers to their use. Reasons for sex work, sex workers’ perceptions, and clients’ preferences negatively affect the rate of condom use. Sex worker empowerment, community education, and effective marketing of female condoms require strengthening

Knowledge on Cervical Cancer Services and Associated Risk Factors by Health Workers in the Eastern Cape Province

Globally, cancer is a leading cause of death, with cervical cancer ranking second among all cancers. Its adversity impacts not only individuals but also families, societies, and governments. The quality of services, as informed by the knowledge and adequacy of the health workers, plays an important role in both prevention, diagnosis, and management of the disease. A cross-sectional study among 108 purposively selected health workers in rural health facilities in the Eastern Cape province was conducted to assess knowledge on cervical cancer and associated risk factors through the use of validated structured questionnaires. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used for analysis, with a 95% confidence interval and a p-value of 0.05 considered significant. A total of 91.7% of the 108 participants were female, and 25% were over the age of 50. A total of 88% and 85.2% indicated sexually transmitted disease and human immunodeficiency virus as major risk factors, respectively. The HPV, pap smear, and vaccination age were known by 64.8%, and vaccine availability was known by 71.3%. Only 40.7% of workers were trained on cervical screening, and 35.2% were trained on the interpretation of pap smear results. An overall knowledge score of 53% was obtained, with more experienced clinicians scoring lower grades. This study identified inadequacies in essential knowledge for successful implementation of cervical cancer services and found that extensive training was needed