Results from a survey of the South African GISc community show who they are and what they do

In the wake of the rapidly increasing global geospatial industry, a shortage of registered GISc professionals, as well as professional GISc registration challenges, have been reported in South Africa. The suitability of registration categories and academic requirements for the type of work performed by GISc professionals has also been questioned. This article presents results of a survey by the Geo-information Society of South Africa (GISSA) to gain a better understanding of who the members of the South African GISc community are and what they do at work. Such understanding is important for the implementation of the new Geomatics Profession Act 19 of 2013, the development of the South African Geo-spatial Information Management Strategy and the establishment of the South African Spatial Data Infrastructure (SASDI). An online questionnaire was distributed and responses analysed. Amongst others, results show that roughly a quarter of all respondents switched to GISc related work later in their career. While individuals tend to focus their work on a few of industries, application areas or disciplines, the GISc community as a whole is active in a wide range of industries, application areas and disciplines. Qualifications that do not meet academic requirements for registration are a significant barrier to registration. Most members of the GISc community fulfil roles of data analysis and interpretation, together with data acquisition, data management, and/or visualization/mapping. The research raises questions whether the differentiation between the type of work performed by different registration categories is clear enough; whether an additional registration category is required for professionals from other disciplines who use GIS as a tool; and why many people who focus on remote sensing are not registered as GISc professionals with PLATO. Survey results contribute to the understanding of the supply and demand for GISc knowledge and skills in South Africa. Additional research is required to better understand the demand and to identify prominent gaps in GISc skills and knowledge

A qualitative investigation of the role of paediatric rehabilitation professionals in rural South Africa : rehabilitation professionals’ perspectives

PURPOSE : To investigate the role that rehabilitation professionals play in the rehabilitation of children with disabilities in the rural and under-resourced community of Giyani in South Africa. METHOD : A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive approach was used. Semi-structured face- to-face interviews were used to collect data from a convenient sample of eight rehabilitation professionals. Data were transcribed verbatim by two trained students and verified by the main researcher. An inductive approach to qualitative data analysis was used. In vivo and open coding were used to generate codes. RESULTS : Analysis of data resulted in 21 codes, 9 subcategories, 5 categories and 1 theme. The role of rehabilitation professionals was described in terms of the five categories which are to examine newborn babies and children at risk, support caregivers of children with disabilities, impart skills training for caregivers of children with disabilities, rehabilitate children with disabilities and conduct follow-ups in communities where the children with disabilities reside. CONCLUSION : The role that rehabilitation professionals play in the rural and under-resourced community of Giyani in South Africa is similar to the role played in high-income countries. The role that rehabilitation professionals play is not only focused on the child but also on the family.The article is based on a PhD thesis of D.M. C.E. was the promoter of the thesis and contributed towards the drafting of the article.The South African National Research Foundation (NRF), University of Pretoria and the South African Society of Physiotherapy.http://www.sajp.co.zaam2016Physiotherap

Causes of childhood disabilities in a rural South African community : caregivers' perspective

Childhood disabilities are conditions that affect or are likely to influence the development of children into adulthood. Childhood disabilities are common in both high-income as well as lowincome countries. UNICEF estimated that the number of children with disabilities below the age of 18 years was about 150 million. In low-income countries, the prevalence of childhood disability ranged between 0.4 and 12.7%. According to Census 2001, the prevalence of childhood disability in South Africa was between 2-3 %. It is commonly accepted in the literature that the aetiology of childhood disability is attributed to prenatal, perinatal and postnatal factors. However, disabilities within the African context have been associated with beliefs and spirituality retribution such as the “will of God or witchcraft”. The purpose of the study is to establish what the caregivers attribute as the cause of childhood disabilities in the rural community of South Africa. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive approach was used to obtain the participants’ perspectives on the cause of childhood disability. Data were collected from caregivers of children with disabilities using individual face-to-face interviews (n=9) and three focus group discussions (n=10) at Nkhensani Hospital in Giyani, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Caregivers perceived “religious beliefs, other beliefs, biomedical factors and lifestyle and habits as possible causes of childhood disabilities. Even though belief-based-factors cannot be scientifically proven as potential causes of childhood disability, health care professionals should ensure at all times that they take into consideration the clients’ culture and beliefs during assessment and or treatment of the child.The National Research Foundation (NRF) and the University of Pretoria.http://www.journals.co.za/content/journal/ajpherd1am2017Physiotherap

A qualitative investigation of the role of paediatric rehabilitation professionals in rural South Africa : rehabilitation professionals’ perspectives

PURPOSE : To investigate the role that rehabilitation professionals play in the rehabilitation of children with disabilities in the rural and under-resourced community of Giyani in South Africa. METHOD : A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive approach was used. Semi-structured face- to-face interviews were used to collect data from a convenient sample of eight rehabilitation professionals. Data were transcribed verbatim by two trained students and verified by the main researcher. An inductive approach to qualitative data analysis was used. In vivo and open coding were used to generate codes. RESULTS : Analysis of data resulted in 21 codes, 9 subcategories, 5 categories and 1 theme. The role of rehabilitation professionals was described in terms of the five categories which are to examine newborn babies and children at risk, support caregivers of children with disabilities, impart skills training for caregivers of children with disabilities, rehabilitate children with disabilities and conduct follow-ups in communities where the children with disabilities reside. CONCLUSION : The role that rehabilitation professionals play in the rural and under-resourced community of Giyani in South Africa is similar to the role played in high-income countries. The role that rehabilitation professionals play is not only focused on the child but also on the family.The article is based on a PhD thesis of D.M. C.E. was the promoter of the thesis and contributed towards the drafting of the article.The South African National Research Foundation (NRF), University of Pretoria and the South African Society of Physiotherapy.http://www.sajp.co.zaam2016Physiotherap

Psychometric validation of the reintegration to normal living index in people living with spinal cord injuries

The evaluation of rehabilitation outcomes requires measurement instruments that are valid and reliable, and have been psychometrically tested in the context of a particular population. The purpose of this study was to psychometrically test the validity and reliability of the Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNLI) as a measure of community reintegration in a population of community-dwelling people living with spinal cord injury (PLWSCI) in South Africa. The study was a cross-sectional, involving community dwelling people living with SCI (PLWSCI), who had been discharged from inpatient rehabilitation at for at least two years. RNLI data collected from 160 PLWSCI were subjected to factor analysis and tested for reliability using chronbach’s alpha. Cronbach’s alpha for the RNLI instrument was 0.97 (ICC 95% CI: 0.97 – 0.98), indicating an excellent reliability coefficient. A single -factor structure emerged from principal components analysis, indicating that there is only one factor structure for the RNLI in this population of PLWSCI. The content, construct, convergent and discriminate validity of the instrument were established. The results of this study support the reliability and factorial validity of the RNLI as a measure of community reintegration for PLWSCI. The RNLI is therefore a valuable outcome measure and should be extended to other SCI rehabilitation studies in South Africa.This paper reports on part of a PhD study conducted by DJ Mothabeng at the University of Pretoria, supervised by Dr CA Eksteen and Professor M Westaway.The study was supported by grants from the School of Health Care Sciences at the University of Pretoria, and the Research foundation of the South African Society of Physiotherapy.http://www.sajp.co.za/index.php/sajpam201

Pilot-scale valorisation of salmon peptone into polyhydroxyalkanoates by mixed microbial cultures under conditions of high ammonia concentration

publishedVersio

The Food Environment of Primary School Learners in a Low-to-Middle-Income Area in Cape Town, South Africa

Rapid changes in food environments, where less nutritious foods have become cheaper and more accessible, have led to the double burden of malnutrition (DBM). The role food environments have played in shaping the DBM has attained global interest. There is a paucity of food environment research in low-to-middle-income countries. We conducted a case study of the food environments of school aged learners. A primary school in Cape Town was recruited. A multi-method design was used: a home food and eating behaviours questionnaire completed by 102 household respondents and four questions completed by 152 learners; learner participatory photography; a semi-structured school principal interview; a tuckshop inventory; observation of three-day tuckshop purchases. Foods that were commonly present in households: refined carbohydrates, fats/oils, chicken, processed meats, vegetables, fruit, legumes, snacks/drinks. Two thirds of households had rules about unhealthy drinks/snacks, ate supper together and in front of the TV, ate a home cooked meal five–seven times/week and ate breakfast together under two times/week. Vegetables were eaten under two times/week in 45% of households. A majority of learners (84%) took a lunchbox to school. Twenty-five learners photographed their food environment and 15 participated in semi-structured interviews. Six themes emerged: where to buy; what is available in the home; meal composition; family dynamics; peer engagement; food preparation. Items bought at informal food outlets included snacks, drinks and grocery staples. The principal interview revealed the establishment of a healthy school food environment, including a vegetable garden, although unhealthy snacks were sold at the tuckshop. Key dimensions of the food environment that require further investigation in disadvantaged urban and informal settlement areas include the home availability of unhealthy foods, eating behaviours in households and healthfulness of foods sold by informal food outlets

A cross-sectional survey and cross-sectional clinical trial to determine the prevalence and management of eye movement disorders and vestibular dysfunction in post-stroke patients in the sub-acute phase : protocol

INTRODUCTION: Visual impairment, specifically eye movement disorders and vestibular dysfunction may have a negative influence on the functional recovery in post-stroke patients. This type of sensory dysfunction may further be associated with poor functional outcome in patients' post-stroke. METHODS: In phase 1, a cross-sectional survey (n = 100) will be conducted to determine the prevalence of eye movement disorders and vestibular dysfunction in patients who sustained a stroke. A cross-sectional clinical trial (n = 60) will be conducted during phase 2 of the study to determine the effect of the combination of vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) and visual scanning exercises (VSE) (experimental group) integrated with task-specific activities compared with the effect of task-specific activities as an intervention (control group) on patients who present with eye movement impairment and central vestibular dysfunction post-stroke. An audiologist will assess (a) visual acuity (static and dynamic), (b) nystagmus, (c) saccadic eye movements, (d) smooth pursuit eye movements, (e) vestibulo-ocular reflex, and (f) saccular, utricular, and vestibular nerve function. An independent physiotherapist will assess (1) cognitive function, (2) residual oculomotor visual performance, (3) visual-perceptual system, (4) functional balance, (5) gait, (6) functional ability, (7) presence of anxiety and/or depression, and (8) level of participation in physical activity. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval has been obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP) (374/2015). The study will be submitted as fulfillment for the PhD degree at UP. Dissemination will include submission to peer-reviewed professional journals and presentation at congresses. Training of rehabilitation team members on the integration of VSE and VRT into task-specific activities in rehabilitation will be done if the outcome of the experimental group's functional performance is clinically and statistically significantly better than the control group on the Barthel Index. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR201509001223262).The principal researcher received a National Research Foundation Innovation Doctoral scholarship for 2016 and funding from the South African Society of Physiotherapy’s Research Foundation (VAN180).http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/neurologyam2016PhysiotherapySpeech-Language Pathology and Audiolog

A cross-sectional survey and cross-sectional clinical trial to determine the prevalence and management of eye movement disorders and vestibular dysfunction in post-stroke patients in the sub-acute phase : protocol

INTRODUCTION: Visual impairment, specifically eye movement disorders and vestibular dysfunction may have a negative influence on the functional recovery in post-stroke patients. This type of sensory dysfunction may further be associated with poor functional outcome in patients' post-stroke. METHODS: In phase 1, a cross-sectional survey (n = 100) will be conducted to determine the prevalence of eye movement disorders and vestibular dysfunction in patients who sustained a stroke. A cross-sectional clinical trial (n = 60) will be conducted during phase 2 of the study to determine the effect of the combination of vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) and visual scanning exercises (VSE) (experimental group) integrated with task-specific activities compared with the effect of task-specific activities as an intervention (control group) on patients who present with eye movement impairment and central vestibular dysfunction post-stroke. An audiologist will assess (a) visual acuity (static and dynamic), (b) nystagmus, (c) saccadic eye movements, (d) smooth pursuit eye movements, (e) vestibulo-ocular reflex, and (f) saccular, utricular, and vestibular nerve function. An independent physiotherapist will assess (1) cognitive function, (2) residual oculomotor visual performance, (3) visual-perceptual system, (4) functional balance, (5) gait, (6) functional ability, (7) presence of anxiety and/or depression, and (8) level of participation in physical activity. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval has been obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP) (374/2015). The study will be submitted as fulfillment for the PhD degree at UP. Dissemination will include submission to peer-reviewed professional journals and presentation at congresses. Training of rehabilitation team members on the integration of VSE and VRT into task-specific activities in rehabilitation will be done if the outcome of the experimental group's functional performance is clinically and statistically significantly better than the control group on the Barthel Index. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR201509001223262).The principal researcher received a National Research Foundation Innovation Doctoral scholarship for 2016 and funding from the South African Society of Physiotherapy’s Research Foundation (VAN180).http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/neurologyam2016PhysiotherapySpeech-Language Pathology and Audiolog