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South Africa’s National Science Week: contribution to the promotion of diversity and inclusion in STEM education and engagement
No full textSouth Africa is dedicated to establishing itself as a global leader in science and technology. Achieving this ambitious goal requires a concerted effort to cultivate a scientifically literate society. Each year, the country hosts the National Science Week (NSW) to celebrate and promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The initiative aims to enhance understanding and engagement, and foster interest in STEM careers to develop human capabilities in STEM. Using data collected from the 2023 NSW grant holders, we explored the reach of the event and grant holders’ priorities for involvement in the NSW, in relation to promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM. In terms of reach, eight provinces had more than half female participation and seven had more than 90 % Black African participation. Many grant holders targeted no-fee schools and those located in areas of high socioeconomic risk, thus providing opportunities for the most vulnerable learners 1 to be exposed to STEM. Grant holders also focused beyond schools on the inclusion of different sectors of society, including tertiary students, scientists, science interpreters, government officials and the general public. Grant holders revealed an explicit focus on promoting STEM education for all students, supporting STEM subjects and careers, expanding science awareness and developing a scientifically literate society, highlighting the role of science in everyday life, emphasizing the role of science and evidence-based research in tackling societal problems, and encouraging collaboration. This paper emphasises the importance of events such as the NSW in advancing STEM awareness, education and engagement through the promotion of diversity and inclusion and thereby contributing to the cultivation of a more scientifically literate South African society.
Psychological distress in South Africa: analysis of 2017 national household survey data
No full textThe prevalence of psychological distress in South Africa requires updated estimates. This article aims to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with non-specific psychological distress at a national level in South Africa in 2017. The study utilized data from a 2017 nationally representative, cross-sectional,
population-based household survey. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 36 609 individuals, aged ≥15 years. Prevalence of psychological distress, using the Kessler-10 scale, was varied by demographics, health status, substance use and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Chi-square tests, univariate analyses
and a multivariate logistic model were constructed. Collinearity between independent variables was assessed.
Almost half (47%) of the respondents could be classified as psychologically distressed. Higher levels of psychological distress were observed for women (52.6%), among those aged 25 years – 49 years (53.8%), black Africans (84.2%), those with secondary school level of education (64.1%), unmarried people (73.7%) and those residing in urban areas (63.5%). The multivariate logistic regression model found significant differences for sex, self-reported health status, alcohol use, employment status and locality. Human immunodeficiency virus
serostatus did not play a major role in psychological distress. Special attention should be paid to women in the age group of 25 years – 49 years, the unemployed, those with poor general health and people living in urban areas to address the high prevalence of psychological distress in South Africa. This study adds to the literature on the psychological distress amongst those living in South Africa.
Risk factors and disability associated with low back pain in older adults in low- and middle-income countries: results from the WHO Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE)
Get PDFBack pain is a common disabling chronic condition that burdens individuals, families and societies. Epidemiological evidence, mainly from high-income countries, shows positive association between back pain prevalence and older age. There is an urgent need for accurate epidemiological data on back pain in adult populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where populations are ageing rapidly. The objectives of this study are to: measure the prevalence of back pain; identify risk factors and determinants associated with back pain, and describe association between back pain and disability in adults aged 50 years and older, in six LMICs from different regions of the world. The findings provide insights into country-level differences in self-reported back pain and disability in a group of socially, culturally, economically and geographically diverse LMICs.
Supporting youth livelihoods in an informal “sub-field” in the Global South
No full textIn this chapter, I argue that informal sector youth livelihoods can be understood as generated in a spatialised “sub-field” of the Global South, on the peripheries of urban areas where the state has limited control. This sub-field operates mainly in slums, favelas, or townships, as well as on the streets of city centers or even in certain factories. In post-colonial contexts, autonomous domains of activity – fields – do not emerge as clearly because state hegemony is more tenuous, meaning that governments are unable to regulate social life as easily across entire territories. Rather than understanding how people generate livelihoods as their accumulation of capitals in a field, a number of linked sub-fields have therefore emerged spatially in the Global South, with informal economies existing alongside the mainstream capitalist one. The informal sub-field plays out relationally, through interactions between structural forces and the resources or capitals youth accumulate, producing specific informal forms of habitus. Research illuminates three distinct kinds of livelihoods in this sub-field: informal trade, informal artisans/apprentices, and a kind of informal survivalism, or “hustle”. I make preliminary suggestions about how skills and education can help support each of these kinds of informal sector youth livelihoods from a relational approach.
Toekennings beskikbaar vir nagraadse studie in die Republiek van Suid-Afrika en in die buiteland: 1971
No full textDifferences in HIV risk factors between South African adolescents and adult women and their association with sexually transmitted infections
Get PDFIn sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 86% of HIV infections in adolescents aged 15–19 years occur among girls. Their heightened susceptibility is likely influenced by converging sociobehavioural and biological factors, although the relative contributions remain unclear. To address this, we compared known and hypothesized risk factors for HIV between cisgender adolescent girls and adult women in South Africa and evaluated the relationships between these factors and sexually transmitted infection (STI) status. This cross-sectional observational study included adolescent (n=305; 14–19 years) and adult females (n=114; 25–35 years) in two South African provinces (Western Cape (WC), KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)). Demographic and sociobehavioural data were collected by questionnaire. Colposcopy was conducted to identify cervicovaginal abnormalities, and tests for bacterial vaginosis (BV), Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Trichomonas vaginalis were performed.
95-95-95 HIV indicators among children younger than 15 years in South Africa: results from the 2017 national HIV prevalence, incidence, behaviour, and communication survey
Get PDFEarly detection and initiation of care is crucial to the survival and long-term well-being of children living with HIV (CLHIV). However, there remain challenges regarding early testing and linking of CLHIV for early treatment. This study examines the progress made towards achieving the 95-95-95 HIV indicators and associated factors among CLHIV < 15 years in South Africa. The data was collected as part of the 2017 cross-sectional, multistage cluster randomized population-based household National HIV survey. Age-appropriate structured questionnaires were utilized to gather sociodemographic data, HIV-related knowledge, risk behaviours, and health-related information. Blood samples were collected to test for HIV serology, viral load suppression, and antiretroviral usage. Backward stepwise multivariable generalized linear regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with the 95-95-95 HIV indicators. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) are shown, and p < 0.05 indicates statistical significance.
Risk factors associated with hopelessness among unemployed graduates during the Covid-19 lockdown in South Africa
Get PDFHopelessness is defined as having a pessimistic expectation of the future and the belief that goals are unachievable. It is reported to be high among the unemployed. During the Covid-19 pandemic, unemployment increased, especially among young graduates. Hence, in this study, we aimed to find the factors that contributed to developing feelings of hopelessness in unemployed South African graduates. This study made use of the survey data obtained from the larger Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) study. The primary outcome variable was the presence of hopelessness, which was based on Beck’s Hopelessness Scale (BHS). The study participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on a data-free online platform within two months of commencement of employment in the PYEI internship programme. The survey data were analysed using Stata 15.0. (StataCorp Texas USA 2016). The prevalence of hopelessness was presented by the independent variables of interest. Bivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between the independent variables with the primary outcome of hopelessness. Our study reported that being “not African” was associated with hopelessness and that prolonged social media use protected against developing feelings of hopelessness. Identifying these risk factors is vital in caring for the mental health of South Africans.
World champions: the story of the South African rugby
No full textWorld Champions 2nd edition continues the story of South African rugby in a new chapter that includes coverage of the momentous 2023 Rugby World Cup win by South Africa’s Springboks. South Africa won the 2023 Rugby World Cup by defeating New Zealand 12-11 in front of more than 80 000 spectators at the Stade de France. As this 2nd edition shows, in winning the Webb Ellis Cup for the fourth time, the Springboks became the competition’s most successful team. Back-to-back victories in Yokohama in 2019 and Paris in 2023 inspired a renewed appreciation of the skills that have always existed across South Africa’s racial spectrum. In its telling of this story, World Champions 2nd Edition again offers readers insights that go beyond the media-led rendition of South African rugby. Further additions to this 2nd edition include a revised Introduction, expanded Index, updates to the history of South Africa’s first steps toward playing international rugby in the late nineteenth century, as well as additional content about, inter alia institutions such as the national governing bodies, and the winning teams in 1995, 2007, 2019 and 2023. In this way, the 2nd edition continues to provide both the most-relevant and most-current history of South African rugby and the many organisations and individuals that have contributed to its evolution.N/