Towards a health promoting University: an exploratory study of the University of Cape Town

Drawing on developments in the public health field, this exploratory study applies the ideas of Health Promotion (HP) to the University of Cape Town (UCT). It defines UCT as a setting within which HP can and should take place. Following the World Health Organisation (WHO), health is seen as encompassing physical, mental, social, and other environmental factors (WHO, 1978). Sociological perspectives that acknowledge the relationship between social action/behaviour and the social context, hence the relationship between students' wellbeing and the UCT environment are employed. Data and information for this study were collected through focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, participant observation, and a sample of information gathered by first year sociology students. The fear of failure, housing problems, limited social integration, and availability of cigarettes and junk food on campus were found to be some of the factors that influence and constrain students' weIIbeing. It was also found wellbeing is not an explicit consideration in the university plans and policies, even though implicitly these are meant to enhance wellbeing. Strategies to promote health in UCT need to be guided by a commitment to wellbeing in the university's policies. This thesis recommends that the university be required to pass a 'wellbeing test'

Secular trends in risk behaviour of Cape Town grade 8 students

Objective. To compare prevalence rates of selected risk behaviours and age of first intercourse of grade 8 students in Cape Town between 1997 and 2004. Design. Cross-sectional surveys in 1997 and 2004. Survival analysis was used to estimate the cumulative incidence of first intercourse. The log-rank statistic was used to compare the survival distributions. When comparing data from the two studies we used a logistic regression model with the factors year, race and age group to test the difference in reported risk behaviours between 1997 and 2004 within each gender. Setting. Public high schools in Cape Town. Subjects. Multistage cluster samples of 1 437 and 6 266 grade 8 students in 1997 and 2004 respectively. Outcome measures. Ever having had sexual intercourse; for those that had, whether any method was used to prevent pregnancy or disease at last intercourse, and (if so) what was used; use of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana; violence-related behaviours; and suicidal behaviour. Results. There was a significant delay in first intercourse in 2004 compared with 1997. For males, levels of condom use were lower in 2004 than in 1997, while for females levels of injectable contraceptive use were lower. There were significant increases in past month use of cigarettes for males and marijuana for both genders. Rates of perpetration of violence behaviour remained stable or decreased from 1997 to 2004, while the rate of suicidal behaviour for males increased. Conclusions. School-based interventions that address sexual risk behaviours should be expanded to include other risk behaviours

COMPARE Forum: The idea of North-South and South-South collaboration

The idea of having a Compare Forum focusing on the above title was first discussed with one of the Editors of Compare during a PhD defence in Oslo in 2011. The PhD dissertation itself was linked to a larger project in which researchers from the North (Norway) and the South (South Africa) had been collaborating in educational research for over 10 years. Despite the fact that North-South collaboration is not a new issue on the agenda (King 1985) it is still a timely topic to explore, particularly given the recent growth and moves towards North-South-South collaboration or even South-South Cooperation in Education and Development (Chisholm and Steiner-Khamsi 2009). Thus, any discussion of research collaboration, whether North-South or South-South, is seen as an ideal topic for comparative education, particularly when exploring why there should be collaboration at all and if so what are some of the challenges. While it may be argued that the difference between North-South and South-South collaboration may simply be a question of geography, King (1985) reminds us that collaboration is not necessarily between equals and that collaboration at times ‘appears to be a process initiated in the North, and in which the South participates, as a counterpart’ (184). Ultimately, the differences go beyond simple geographic location to issues of funding and power, something that each of the contributions will touch upon in their own way. While cooperation may mean working with someone, it does suggest that one partner provides information or resources to the other, while collaboration suggests a more equal partnership in which researchers work alongside each other. For the majority of our contributors, we use collaboration as opposed to cooperation, although the literature is not always so clear on this distinction.Web of Scienc

Process and outcome evaluation of a school-based HIV/AIDS prevention intervention in Cape Town high schools

Includes bibliographical references (p. 299-315)This thesis presents an evaluation of a theory-based HIV prevention intervention designed for grade 8 high school students. The intervention was delivered by teachers over a 6-month period. The objectives of the research were (i) to conduct a systematic review of evaluation studies of international and South African school-based interventions aimed at postponing sexual intercourse and increasing condom use; (ii) to conduct a process evaluation documenting implementation of the intervention; and (iii) to conduct an evaluation to assess the intervention effects on the delay of sexual intercourse and condom use. The study was conducted over a period of 15 months, using a cluster randomised controlled trial design. A multi-stage sampling strategy was employed in selecting the participating schools. Twenty-six schools located in various parts of Cape Town participated in the research, 13 in the experimental group and 13 in the control group. Process evaluation data were collected during and after implementation of the intervention. Interviews, focus group discussions, classroom observations and educator lesson logs were the methodologies employed in the process evaluation. Quantitative outcome evaluation data were collected at baseline 6- and 15-months follow-up, using a self administered questionnaire

Book ReviewSteering by the Stars: Being Young in South Africa by Mamphela Ramphele

2002, Tafelberg 176 pages Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2003, 15(1): 57-5

Secure trends in risk behaviour of Cape Town grade 8 students

No Abstract. South African Medical Journal Vol. 96(9) (Part 2) 2006: 982-98