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Corporate governance structures: the performance of Zambian listed companies
No full textThesis (Ph.D. (Business Administration))--University of the Free State, 2019Corporate governance, which hinges on integrity, transparency and accountability, has been globally recognised. Despite this recognition, corporate scandals, corporate failures and poor financial performance of companies have continued to affect the corporate and non-corporate world and thus corporate governance has become a topical issue. There has been limited research on the relationship between corporate governance structures and the financial performance of listed companies in Zambia. This research, therefore, investigated the relationship between corporate governance structures and the financial performance of the selected Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE) listed companies for the period 2009 to 2017. With the wide range of stakeholders of the LuSE listed companies in Zambia and the need to grow and develop Zambia’s economy, measuring the financial performance of the companies is vital. Additionally, the growth and development of the Zambian economy is at the heart of Zambia’s economic policies - aimed at eradicating poverty and gender- related inequalities in income. The aim of the research was to adjust the existing framework of corporate governance structures that would enhance the financial performance of the Lusaka Stock Exchange listed companies. This research study has adopted the stakeholder theory to corporate governance, as there are many stakeholders (shareholders, banks, suppliers, customers, government, and employees, amongst others) interested in corporate governance and financial performance for companies. The study employed a mixed research methods approach that involved the collection and analyses of secondary and primary, quantitative and qualitative data. A total of 19 Lusaka Stock Exchange listed companies was used in the descriptive and inferential statistics while 46 self-administered questionnaires were analysed. A total of 15 interviews were held with key role players comprising Chief Executive Officers of the selected key institutions.
The random effects panel regression model was used to investigate the relationship between corporate governance structures (board of directors and managerial ownership) and financial performance (proxied by the Return on Capital Employed and Tobin’s Q). Self-administered questionnaires and interviews were conducted to provide insight into corporate governance structures, including the relationship between corporate governance structures and financial performance. All the self-administered questionnaires’ participants indicated that separation of the chief executive officer and board chairperson roles improved financial performance. The random effects panel regression tests using the Return On Capital Employed and Tobin’s Q showed that separation of chief executive officer and board chairperson roles showed had no statistically significant relationship with financial performance of selected the Lusaka Stock Exchange listed companies. Similarly, the study has revealed that the majority of non-executive directors and the number of board meetings do not have any statistically significant relationship with the financial performance of the selected Lusaka Stock Exchange listed companies. However, the insights from key role players have revealed that the majority non-executive directors and the holding of frequent (quarterly) board meetings positively relate with the financial performance of the selected Lusaka Stock Exchange listed companies. A small board of directors (averaging seven board members) has a statistically significant positive relationship with financial performance of the selected Lusaka Stock Exchange LuSE listed companies. Furthermore, insights from self- administered questionnaires revealed that large boards have a positive relationship with financial performance.
The contrasting results mainly stem from the argument that insights from key role players could have been premised on the need to comply with LuSE Lusaka Stock Exchange Code of Corporate Governance and international corporate governance best practices. The major implications of the research results regarding the separation of the CEO and the chair of the board as well as having a majority NEDs are contradictory. The quantitative research revealed no relationship between financial performance, the division of the two roles and a majority NEDs, yet the opinions of key role players indicated the opposite. The contradiction in findings mainly stems from the fact that the application of corporate governance in Zambia as is fairly new and the stock market is not yet fully developed. The board processes such as the number of board committees, the establishment of audit and risk committees and internal and external audits relate with financial performance of the selected Lusaka Stock Exchange LuSE listed companies in different ways. The results of the random panel regression analysis, using Tobin’s Q, have revealed that the establishment of an audit committee has a statistically significant positive relationship with financial performance. The insights from key role players revealed that the establishment of an audit committee, internal and external audits as internal corporate governance structures have positive relationships with the financial performance of Lusaka Stock Exchange listed companies. Furthermore, the results of the random effects panel regression analysis showed that the establishment of a risk committee does not have any statistically significant relationship with the financial performance of the LuSE listed companies. Conversely, the insights from interviews revealed that the establishment of a risk committee has a positive relationship with financial performance. Finally, insights from the self-administered questionnaires and interviews revealed that managerial ownership positively relates with financial performance as managers align their interests with shareholders’ interests. The major implications are that a continued focus on the use of audit committees as well as internal and external audits can contribute positively to the financial performance of the LuSE listed companies.
The author makes the following major recommendations for shareholders, board of directors, senior management, practitioners and academics: - It is recommended that the shareholders of the two Lusaka Stock Exchange Companies, that didn’t have the separation of the two roles, should approve the separation of the two roles while the 17 Lusaka Stock Exchange listed companies that had the two role separated should continue separating the two roles; - The board of directors should ensure that a greater proportion of non- executive directors form part of the boards in the Lusaka Stock Exchange listed companies; - Senior management should facilitate the holding of the recommended four annual board meetings; and - The Securities Exchange Commission should use the research report as one of the key documents that to revise of the Lusaka Stock Exchange Code on Corporate Governance in Zambia. This study’s limitations included limited financial data for the descriptive and inferential statistics, the young age of the Lusaka Stock Exchange, the limited number of listed companies and the developing nature of the country. In this regard, the study recommends that future research is required when the number of LuSE listed companies has increased; to include other companies (companies listed on both the main and alternative Lusaka Stock Exchange markets, private sector and state owned entities); as a comparative study for corporate governance in Zambia (Lusaka Stock Exchange listed companies) and South Africa (Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed companies). Given the contrasting results, future research is critical to investigate the relationship between board size and financial performance
The political construction of occupational therapy in South Africa: critical analysis of a curriculum as discourse
No full textDoes the occupational therapy curriculum strengthen the reproductive machineries of the departments, and by extension the universities in which they are located? Are the patterns of inclusion and exclusion a function of curriculum? This is the key interest of the study, especially since developments post-1994 in South Africa indicate that transformation in higher education has been painfully slow. This is particularly so in the profession of occupational therapy and its academic departments, both in terms of prevailing surface patterns of homogeny and implicit exclusionary practices. At the particular historically Afrikaans-medium University which is the focus of this study, 95% of students are white and female, a pattern that is mirrored in the demographic representation of lecturing staff, in spite of regulatory imperatives and multiple institutional efforts to recruit student applicants and staff from diverse backgrounds. Though white South Africans nationally constitute 8,9% of the country’s population, about 60% of all occupational therapy graduates are white and female, a pattern this study is probing at the level of curriculum. The core values of the occupational therapy profession include a commitment to occupational justice and, at least in theory, a highly reflexive-responsive attitude when judging the paradigms shifts occurring over less than a century. Nevertheless, there is increasing evidence that the profession is grappling with its Eurocentric origins and their taken-for-granted, embedded norms. The profession is confronted by perceived patterns of (un)just exclusion/inclusion against a backdrop of calls for the decolonization of curricula. These enduring, semi-permanent patterns, with their racialized outcomes in the South African context, call for a deeper analysis of the role of curricula in the continuous underrepresentation of black students, particularly male students, in the profession. My study is anchored in a post-structuralist critical theory paradigm. I draw upon a Foucauldian discourse analysis (FDA) approach which includes an archaeology-analysis and a genealogyanalysis. I treat curriculum as both the discourse and the interface between the conditions of possibility, that is, the rules of formation for how knowledge comes into being and how it is reproduced through the technologies (rationalizations) of power and self. Data sources for the archaeology-analysis included commemorative documents of universities on the origin of their programmes; historical international, national and institutional regulatory documents; and the South African Journal of Occupational Therapy archive from 1953-1994, with specific focus on the Vona du Toit memorial lectures. In the genealogy analysis, the lens of ‘layers of curriculum’ is employed: the formal, the informal, the hidden and the negated curriculum. This approach was chosen to show how some patterns discontinue while others persist through rationalizations of power and inventions of the self as a legitimate bearer of knowledge. The study consists of two in-depth analyses, the methods of which emerged through a prolonged critical engagement with the existing literature. An archaeological excavation was carried out on the construction of the rules of formation of knowledge – specifically as it came about in South Africa in the historical context of post-/neo-colonialism and apartheid. In this instance, the reproduction of these rules is situated within the specific current occupational therapy curriculum at a historically Afrikaans-medium university. The genealogy-analysis is innovative, since it not only problematizes the (student as) object that emerges from the rules of formation but also extends its enquiry to the rest of the constituents of the rules of formation of knowledge: enunciative modalities, concepts, and strategies. Within the archaeology-analysis, eight main themes and eight subthemes were excavated. Examples of the main themes, as part of the formation of the object, include ‘the occupational therapist as a white female’ and ‘white exceptionalism’. With the formation of enunciative modalities, the role of regulatory bodies and their historical origin, together with contextually situated subject positions, the bedrock of a Victorian familial trinity emerged: the ‘medical doctor as father’, the ‘occupational therapist as mother’, and the ‘patient as child’. Concerning the formation of rules for concepts, the findings include the political ambiguity of the profession prior to the country’s democratic election, together with a rich ‘know-how’ basis that affirms its pragmatic roots. In terms of the formation of rules of strategies, the themes of holism and the need for recognition of the profession’s ‘uniqueness’ unfold in this part of the inquiry. In the genealogy, the critical analysis shows how the historical norms of geo-politically bounded white demographics, seen as a dominant epistemological marker, are reproduced through rationalizations and notions inter alia of exceptionalism and meritocracy, as well as the ideological imperatives of docility as virtue. In terms of the repetition of enunciative modalities, the reproduction of the taken-for-granted discourse of hierarchy based on paternalism is illustrated in student discourses, for example on the constitution of the student association. With regard to the reproduction of concepts, the reification of the negation of political clarification, pertaining for example to decolonization, is highlighted by showing the rationalization of monocultural epistemologies, with epistemic silence that may lead to epistemic injustice. Turning to the formation of strategies, the tension between the philosophical underpinnings of holism and the limits of occupational therapy practice and core aspects of curriculum are pointed out. The study shows that by viewing curriculum-as-discourse, the historical markers for the reproduction and reification of unjust patterns of inclusion and exclusion can be archaeologically excavated. By framing curriculum-as-discourse, one is able genealogically to identify the modes of rationalization that maintain such patterns. In this way, a curriculum may be reconceptualised so that it is built on epistemic freedom, making it contextually relevant to socially just education and practice. A thorough, non-authoritarian self-reflexivity about the contextual, historical origins of (a profession’s) ways of thinking, speaking and doing, together with the ability to ideate new narratives, are important aspects in achieving self-determinacy and liberating the profession and its knowledge from its colonial and apartheid past. Perhaps, in such a way, we can create an orthogonal disruption that can go some way towards generating something new, not merely (re)producing another pathway heading for the same destination.University of the Free State: Post-Graduate School, and the School for Allied Health Professions - Research CommitteeNational Research Foundation (NRF
Evaluation of lamb and motton quality at retail level in the Tshwane Metropole
No full textThe palatability of meat is determined by tenderness, juiciness and flavour. All over the world consumers consider tenderness as the most important palatability attribute. However, inconsistent quality is one of the biggest problems that have been identified in the meat industry. This ascribed the lack of knowledge about the origin of variation in quality and certain claims regarding consumer satisfaction that do not materialize.
Over a period of three months twenty three products were collected from five major retail outlets and twelve smaller butcheries. A total of 14 rounds of purchasing were done representing 14 repetitions. Overall 306 samples were collected. Products varied in type namely Karoo lamb, grass-fed or grain-fed lamb and also in packaging that is modified atmosphere packaging, polyvinyl chloride overwrapping, fresh-cut and on display. Physical, histological and biochemical measurements were performed in an attempt to explain variations in consumer related properties. Data was analyzed with analyses of variance, Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison test, principle component analyses and discriminant analyses to demonstrate differences in meat quality.
Price is one of the most influential factors on consumers’ choice of purchase, although they still want good value for their money. The grain-fed products had the lowest/best price with the products from the grass-fed production system being the most expensive. Nevertheless, when considering the meat/fat/bone ratios the grain-fed products had the least amount of meat and the most fat, leaving the products from the Karoo production system as the product with the best value for money. Cooking losses have pointed out problem areas with regards to the grass-fed products as these products had the highest values while being sold as a superior product with the highest price.
The Karoo and grass-fed products were associated with healthier FA such as phytanic acid, CLA, total n-3 PUFA and PUFA : SFA ratio. Subsequently, the grain-fed products had healthy oleic acid and MUFA contents as well as a good n-6 : n-3 ratio. This means that the free-range products are regarded as the better option for a healthy diet.
No significant differences were found in the TBARS values of the different production systems. It was interesting to find that the samples that were fresh cut had lower TBARS values than the samples with PVC-OW or covered with MAP. Even so all of the products were well below the point where rancidity would start to develop.
All of the products in our study were regarded as tender when comparing the WBSF values to preconceived thresholds. However, significant differences were found between the different production systems with the products from the Karoo production system being the most tender. This was in agreement with the sensory tenderness performed by a trained taste panel.
Flavour and aroma especially play an important role when discussing lamb/mutton. Some consumers are discouraged by the unique flavour of sheep meat while others embrace it, especially from Karoo lamb. The Karoo and grass-fed production systems was associated with all the intense aromas and flavours (i.e. barnyard, metallic, Karoo ‘bossie’, sour) while the grain-fed production system were superior in terms of the typical lamb and sweet attributes.
The factors influencing tenderness have been described as critical control points (CCP’s). From this quality audit it is clear that all the participants do take the CCP’s into account as all the products in our study have been classified as tender. However, there are a few aspects where improvement is still needed with regards to all of the production systems. This include the meat/fat/bone ratio of the grain-fed products, the waterholding capacity of the grass-fed products which might also improve the tenderness and the aroma and flavour of the Karoo products, especially in terms of the sweet attributes that might attract more consumers.National Research Foundation (NRF)Meat Industry Trust (MIT
Avian Breeding Centre: Signal Hill, Happy Valley Conservancy, Bloemfontein
No full textAbstract not availableThe proposed project is an Avian Breeding Centre that specializes in the successful breeding and rehabilitation of smaller raptors such as falcons, kestrels, hawks, buzzards, and owls. The location for the project is on Signal Hill in the Happy Valley Conservancy, Bloemfontein. This project was born from three personal regions of care and interest: the primary root that it stems from is a deep love for all wildlife. I grew up in a family of “birders,” so it was inevitable that my love for wild animals in their natural habitat would spread towards these avian predators. Secondly, in my years of studying at the University of the Free State, I have developed an interest and care for the city of Bloemfontein. This influenced my site selection since I wanted to feel like my work is an investment into the place. Lastly is my interest in the relationship that exists between the natural environment and the architectural result of human dwelling. The edge that exists between the urban and the natural is often a liminal space, or the two entities are in tension with one another. The Happy Valley Conservancy embodies this notion as a green pocket of land that is encapsulated by urban and suburban developments. These personal regions of care form the catalyst for this thesis. The aim of this document is to convey something of this care to the reader so that they too, might experience the essence of the natural site that is embodied within the architecture
The incidence of match playing injuries in junior netball players in South Africa
No full textIntroduction:
Netball is a fast pace game, which consists of high physical demands such as quick acceleration, deceleration, and a sudden change of direction as well as repetitive jumping. Junior netball players frequently engage in adult training programs to meet these demands of the sport, being exposed to higher training loads and intensities. Epidemiological studies provide the proof of risks for sports injuries, as well as the effects of preventative and therapeutic intervention.
Objectives: The objective of this research was to assess the incidence of injuries in a cohort of junior South African netball players.
Methods: Methods: The subjects included under fifteen, under sixteen and under nineteen netball players (N=560) who participated in two junior netball tournaments. Medical personnel and tournament organisers collected the data.
Results: An average incidence of 24.7 injuries per 1000 playing hours were reported. The most common injured body segment was the knee joint (30%), followed by the ankle joint (28%). Contributing factors of the mechanism of injury included time of play, player position, previous injury and limited sessions of detrimental training modalities in current training programs such as flexibility (4 sessions per week @ 24 min per session), neuromuscular and proprioceptive training (2 sessions per week @ 19 min per session), correction of biomechanics (2 sessions per week @ 24 min per session) as well as core stability training (2 sessions per week @ 32 min per session).
Conclusions: In an attempt to reduce the risk and incidence of injuries among junior netball players, it is advised to incorporate structured, evidence based injury prevention modalities based on the theory of specific adaptation to imposed demands of the game of netball. These programs must focus to improve core stability, neuromuscular control, balance / proprioception and correction of biomechanics during execution of functional activities of netball
The use of traditional folk media to convey diabetes messages at public health care services
No full textThis study forms part of a multi-phase research project in South Africa (SA) that intends on developing, testing, implementing and evaluating a health dialogue model for patients living with type 2 diabetes in the Free State province of SA.
Traditional folk media can be successfully used to convey health information to patients in low and middle-income countries. This communication medium holds potential for breaking through communication barriers and since it carries cultural significance; it is trusted and influential amongst indigenous groups. The number of people living with diabetes has increased drastically in the last decade, seemingly more so in low and middle-income countries. In 2016, approximately 1.6 million lives were lost to diabetes worldwide and statistical reports suggest that this global phenomenon will be the leading cause of death in SA by the year 2040. This necessitated the use of innovate and culturally centred methods for conveying diabetes information and raising awareness of this illness in SA. A previous study conducted in the Free State identified six key messages to raise community awareness of diabetes. This study presents the use of traditional folk media to convey these identified diabetes messages to patients attending public health care services in the Free State province.
The study used a quantitative quasi-experimental pre-test post-test design. Random sampling of public health care services (N=26) was done in order to sample three services from Thaba ‘Nchu and three services from Botshabelo. Respondents (n=183) from the sampled services where conveniently selected, with the control group (n=63) and experimental group (n=120) undergoing a pre-test and 4-week post-test using structured questionnaires. Respondents from the experimental group received key diabetes messages conveyed via storytelling, poetry and song/dance. Frequencies and percentages for categorical data and medians and percentiles for continuous data were calculated per group.The groups were compared by means of the Chi Square test, Fisher's exact test and the change within a group was compared by means of the McNemar’s test.
In spite of an even gender distribution amongst the Sesotho speaking population in both control and experimental groups, more female respondents took part in the study in both the control group (63.5%) and experimental group (69.2%) than men (36.5%; 30.8%). Non-homogenous pre-test results occurred in the control and experimental groups. According to the P-values calculated between the control and experimental groups’ pre and post-test phases, only message one presented using storytelling and message four presented via poetry, presented statistically significant changes from the pre-test to 4-week post-test phases of this study.
Traditional folk media can be used to raise diabetes awareness to patients from an indigenous language group, such as the Sesotho speaking population from the Free State province. Communication and healthcare practitioners should therefore not underestimate the value of traditional folk media when promoting health messages.National Research Foundation (NRF
The impact of financial literacy on risk and time preferences and financial behavioural intentions
No full textThesis (Ph.D. (Economics))--University of the Free State, 2019Financial literacy plays a pivotal role in influencing financial behaviour, risk preferences as well as time preferences which in turn impact on financial life outcomes of individuals such as saving and investment. There is documented evidence on variation in financial life outcomes of people with high financial literacy when compared to individuals with low levels of financial literacy. Financial literacy is also weakly associated with individual cognitive ability, which makes it important to examine its relationship with financial behaviour, risk preferences, time preferences and individual characteristics. This study explores the impact of financial literacy on risk preferences, time preferences and financial behaviour of university students. It seeks to examine whether there are differences in financial behaviour, confidence level, risk preferences and time preferences of university students with high financial literacy when compared to those students with low financial literacy. It also investigates the determinants of financial behaviour of university students. The data used in the study was gathered from university students enrolled in undergraduate bachelor of commerce degrees at University of the Free State in South Africa. Data was collected by way of a questionnaire, multiple price list time preferences and risk preferences experimental tasks, financial literacy test as well as a binary choice time preference task. All students that scored a financial literacy test mark above average were categorised as high financial literacy group while those who score a financial literacy test mark below average were classified as low financial literacy group. The study examined descriptive statistics, used t-test and regression models in the analysis of data. Our analysis was split along financial literacy and gender. First, the study found out that financial literacy is associated with risk preferences and time preference choices of university students with low levels of financial literacy. The research also concluded that indecisiveness or indifference shown by multiple switching on risk preferences and time preference choice options increases as financial literacy decreases. The paper also found low levels of financial literacy among university students. Second, the study found out that financial behaviour, confidence, risk preferences and time preferences significantly differ between university students with low financial literacy when compared to students with high financial literacy. Low financial literacy level university students were found to be more risk loving, overconfident and more impatient compared to university students with high financial literacy. The research also concluded that confidence, risk preferences and financial literacy perceptions are significantly related to financial behaviour of categorised university students. Third, the study findings show that financial literacy is associated with a patient behaviour, that is, a low discount rate in university students. Highest level of education in a household was also found to be significantly related to time preferences of university students, showing a positive externality of education. Finally, the research concluded a reverse causality between financial literacy and time preferences. The study results show that financial literacy education benefits more university students with low levels of financial literacy than university students with high financial literacy. Providing financial literacy reduces mistakes in making risk preference and time preference choices by university students. Availing financial literacy can provide the right dose of confidence, risk aversion and patience in university students.Dr Edward (Tiffy) King scholarshipUniversity of the Free Stat
Exploring how the principals' leadership capacity influences governance and policy implementation in the rural schools of Sekhukhune: a case study of two poor performing secondary schools
No full textThis research studied the principal’s leadership capacity and how it influenced governance and policy implementation in the two poor performing rural secondary schools in the Sekhukhune District in the Limpopo province. The study focused on the leadership actions of the principals of these poor performing rural secondary schools when facilitating collaborative processes and collective decision making within the School Governing Bodies to ensure implementation of decentralised responsibilities and mandated directives of the department of education in South Africa. Leadership capacity and its effects on school systems was studied through document analysis to address assumptions that principals of poor performing secondary schools have leadership challenges and cannot lead teams and influence groups within their organisation. These schools have been poor performing below 40% for a period of five consecutive years. This study reviewed leadership activities and leadership types of principal leaders in their attempt to lead and guide school governance through SGBs towards provisioning of relevant support for quality education. The study also looked into the leadership of the principals to determine whether it was able to facilitate effective policy implementation through involvement of relevant stakeholders within these schools. The study has deemed it necessary to also review the level of support provided by the Sekhukhune District of Education to build capacity of these principal leaders so that they could improve learner performance. Contextual challenges that impacted negatively with the leadership capacity of these leaders were identified as reviewed from data collected and analysed. The findings showed that school principals had adequate leadership qualifications and experience that could have influenced school governance and other systems in these poorly performing schools. Results also showed that these two schools were fairly supported by the District but still challenges persisted and the schools continued to poorly perform. Insufficient monitoring and support for educators by the SMTs on curriculum recommendations from the district and high levels of learner ill-discipline might have impacted negatively on the performance of roles and might have resulted to learners performing poorly in the schools. The SGBs and parental involvement in school governance seemed not to have been sufficiently rendered. rendered and knowledge and understanding of legislation on school governance and implementation of policy directives in both curriculum and governance still needed some attention. The study further offered recommendations to assist the District in the implementation of leadership programmes that would be planned to further specifically for poor performing secondary school principals. Based on the studied documents, recommendations are provided to improve the leadership capacity of the principals in poor performing secondary schools ensuring that governance and policy implementation provide a conducive atmosphere for the delivery of quality education aimed at improving learner performance
Influence of environmental conditions on nutritional value of quality protein maize
No full textMaize is a staple crop to many people and it provides calorie, minerals and proteins to people in developing countries and globally. Quality protein maize (QPM) has improved nutritional quality but environmental conditions may have an effect on grain yield and nutritional content, especially under low nitrogen (N) conditions. The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of different production environments on nutritional quality and grain yield in QPM hybrids. This was done by grain yield assessment and nutritional quality analysis of QPM hybrids from CIMMYT-Zimbabwe, which were produced in different sites under low and optimum N conditions. The results for single analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that genotypes were significantly different for grain yield and all nutritional characteristics under low and optimum N. This was true except for oil content, phytic acid to iron molar ratio (MRFe) and phytic acid to zinc molar ratio (MRZn) at Harare (low N) and grain yield at Gwebi, phytic acid content, MRFe and MRZn at Glandel (optimum N). Combined ANOVA across optimum N locations were significantly different for genotypes, locations and genotype by environment interaction for all the traits, except for location effect for protein content. Negative correlations under both low and optimum environments were observed between α and γ zeins, β and γ zeins, and grain yield and Fe content. Principal component analysis biplots identified genotypes TH15938 and TH151082 to have high oil, phytic acid, γ zein and tryptophan contents in all environments. These characteristics were also positively correlated. Generally, low N reduced grain yield and nutritional quality characteristics. However, some specific genotypes were less sensitive to low N as it maintained grain yield (TH15976) and nutritional quality such as tryptophan (TH151082 and TH15895), oil (TH15938), total protein (Local check 1), Fe (TH15889) and Zn (Local check 1 and TH15851) contents. Alpha zein and phytic acid contents were reduced in most genotypes under low N conditions, suggesting increased tryptophan content, improved nutritional quality and micronutrient bioavailability under such conditions.Agricultural Productivity Programme in Southern Africa (APPSA
Factors influencing the utilization of biological medicines in the Free State (South Africa)
No full textEnglish: Biological Medicines are substances derived from animal or other biological origin, and are used to treat, diagnose or prevent mainly inflammatory diseases and cancer. The use thereof has grown worldwide and is aimed at improving the quality of life of patients. However, in South Africa access to Biological Medicines remains limited. Unfortunately, the use of Biological Medicines has presented challenges with regard to the requirements for appropriate therapeutic responses and their side-effects. In order to obtain an appropriate therapeutic response, appropriate patients have to be selected and continuously monitored during therapy.
The two-fold aim of the study was to identify the factors influencing the utilization of Biological Medicines in the Free State (South Africa), and to develop a framework for the use of Biological Medicines in South Africa. Therefore the objective of the study was to determine perception, knowledge of and training in Biological Medicines by clinicians who have been practising for two years or less since graduating and to identify the factors that might influence the prescribing of Biological Medicines by some doctors in the Free State. It was also important to evaluate patient knowledge and experience with Biological Medicines and identify the factors (age, gender, race, disease, patient perception, and adverse effects) that might influence patient compliance with Biological Medicines in some institutions in South Africa. The abovementioned helped to develop a framework for the use of Biological Medicines in South Africa.
A cross sectional study design was used. The literature review was used as the foundation to compile the questionnaires. The study consists of three different questionnaires, one for the newly qualified doctors; one for the specialists who prescribed Biological Medicines as well as the one for the patients who used Biological Medicines. The Delphi survey consisted of the data generated through the previous phases of the study, which consisted of literature cited, as well as three different questionnaires. For the purpose of this study, the Delphi method was used as a tool for achieving consensus, where experts validated some of the aspects and criteria with the view to draft a framework.
As it was, out of the 79 newly qualified doctors in the Mangaung district (Bloemfontein) in the Free State, 79,7% (n = 63) completed the questionnaire. There were 17 specialists that prescribed Biological Medicines in the Free State, and 70,6% (n = 12) of them completed the questionnaire. Biological Medicines do not have more adverse effects than pharmaceutical agents. As it was, out of the 38 patients that used Biological Medicines and were identified by the clinicians, 81,6% completed the questionnaire. In the Delphi questionnaire study, there were 15 panel members that responded out of 20 who received the invitation.
In conclusion, there was a general lack of knowledge on Biological Medicines among newly qualified doctors; therefore, there was a need to educate these young doctors about Biological Medicines, and to offer support in the form of a framework on the use of Biological Medicines to ensure that current patients benefit. The clinicians have limited knowledge of the pharmacology of Biological Medicines and therefore there is still much to be learned about the adverse effects of Biological Medicines. Furthermore, there is a need to educate the prescribers, and to offer support in the form of a framework on the use of Biological Medicines to ensure that current patients benefit and also to improve the procurement process to obtain Biological Medicines. It was established that Biological Medicines are improving the quality of life of patients. Seen from above, Biological Medicines have so far had a positive impact on patient lives; therefore, there was a need expressed to make Biological Medicines more available to patients who need it.
The framework containing the findings of the research will be brought to the attention of the Biological Medicine Committee of South Africa, the Medicine Control Council, as well as the National Department of Health. It will furthermore be recommended that the framework that was developed may be adapted by the health care professionals who prescribe Biological Medicines. The research findings were submitted to academic journals with a view to publication, as well as presented at conferences.Afrikaans: Biologiese Medisyne is middels wat van diere of ander biologiese oorsprong is, en word gebruik om hoofsaaklik inflammatoriese siektes en kanker te behandel, diagnoseer of te voorkom. Die gebruik daarvan het wêreldwyd toegeneem met die doel om die lewenskwaliteit van pasiënte te verbeter. In Suid-Afrika is toegang tot hierdie middels beperk. Ongelukkig het die gebruik van Biologiese Medisyne tot dusver uitdagings gebied met betrekking tot die vereistes vir geskikte terapeutiese response en hul newe-effekte. Ten einde geskikte terapeutiese response te bekom, word geskikte pasiënte geselekteer, en deurlopend gemonitor gedurende terapie.
Die tweevoudige oogmerk van die studie was om die faktore wat die gebruik van Biologiese Medisyne in die Vrystaat provinsie van Suid-Afrika beïnvloed, te identifiseer en om ‘n raamwerk daar te stel vir die gebruik van Biologiese Medisyne in Suid-Afrika. Derhalwe was die doelwit van die studie om Vrystaatse dokters wat die afgelope twee jaar gegradueer het, se persepsie, kennis en opleiding aangaande Biologiese Medisyne te bepaal, sowel as om die faktore wat die dokters moontlik kan beïnvloed in die voorskryf van Biologiese Medisyne, te identifiseer. Dit was ook noodsaaklik om pasiënte se kennis en ervaring van Biologiese Medisyne te identifiseer sowel as die faktore (ouderdom, geslag, ras, siekte, pasiëntpersepsie en nadelige gevolge) te identifiseer ten opsigte van pasiënt-inwilliging om Biologiese Medisyne in sommige instellings in Suid-Afrika te gebruik.
ʼn Kruisdeursnee studie-ontwerp is in hierdie studie gebruik. Die literatuuroorsig is gebruik as die fondasie om die vraelyste op te stel. Die studie bestaan uit drie verskillende vraelyste: een vir die nuut gekwalifiseerde dokters, een vir die spesialiste wat Biologiese Medisyne voorskryf sowel as een vir die pasiënte wat Biologiese Medisyne gebruik. Die Delphi-metode het bestaan uit die data wat ingesamel is deur die vorige fases van die studie, wat bestaan het uit die literatuuroorsig sowel as die drie vraelyste. Vir die doeleindes van hierdie studie is die Delphi-metode gebruik as ‘n instrument om konsensus te bereik, waar kundiges sommige van die aspekte en kriteria valideer met die oog om ‘n raamwerk daar te stel. Vanuit die 79 nuut gekwalifiseerde dokters in die Mangaung-distrik (Bloemfontein) in die Vrystaat, het 79,7% (n = 63) die vraelyste voltooi. Daar was 17 spesialiste wat Biologiese Medisyne in die Vrystaat voorskryf, en 70,6% (n = 12) van die spesialiste het die vraelys voltooi. Biologiese Medisyne het nie meer newe-effekte as farmaseutiese middels nie. ʼn Totaal van 81,6% van die 38 pasiënte wat Biologiese Medisyne gebruik het en deur die spesialiste uitgewys is, het die vraelys voltooi. Die Delphi-vraelys is deur 15 van die uitgenooide 20 paneellede voltooi.
Laastens was daar ‘n gebrek aan kennis oor Biologiese Medisyne onder nuutaangestelde dokters en was dit nodig om hierdie jong dokters onderrig te gee in die gebruik van Biologiese Medisyne en om ondersteuning te bied in die vorm van ‘n raamwerk vir die gebruik van Biologiese Medisyne en derhalwe huidige pasiënte te bevoordeel. Dokters het nog heelwat onkundigheid ten opsigte van Biologiese Medisyne en derhalwe te leer van die newe-effekte van hierdie soort medisyne. Voorts is dit belangrik dat dokters meer te wete kom van die farmakologiese eienskappe van Biologiese Medisyne. Selfs verskaffers van Biologiese Medisyne moet opleiding ontvang en moet die raamwerk ontvang om hulle by te staan om huidige pasiënte te bevoordeel sowel as om verkrygingsprosesse te leer. Biologiese Medisyne het ‘n positiewe impak op pasiënte se lewens. Gesien in hierdie lig, was daar ‘n behoefte om Biologiese Medisyne meer toeganklik vir pasiënte te maak wat dit nodig het.
Die raamwerk bestaan uit die bevindinge van die navorsing en sal beskikbaar gestel word aan die Biologiese Medisynekomitee van Suid-Afrika. Ook die Medisynebeheerraad en die Departement van Gesondheid sal dit ontvang. Daar word voorts aanbeveel dat die raamwerk aangepas mag word vir professionele gesondheidswerkers wat Biologiese Medisyne voorskryf. Die navorsingsresultate is aan akademiese joernale gestuur met die oog op publikasie, of om as referate by konferensies te dien.National Research Foundation (NRF)University of the Free Stat