The University of Zambia Journals
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Developing an Areal View of Intonation in Eastern Bantu
Get PDFThis paper is an initial attempt at trying to synthesise the state-of-art in the study on intonation in Bantu languages. The goal is to specifically investigate what central features emerge in the comparison of four Bantu languages to allow us to formulate a hypothesis on areal features and variation in Eastern Bantu languages. The base language used for the comparison is Bemba, for which details of local intonational effects such as final lowering in utterances, as well as global effects, such as pitch range expansion in questions, are provided. These same questions are compared and contrasted with findings in the literature on Chichewa, Tumbuka and Shingazidja. The results show that there are a number of areas of symmetry and areas of contrast, which allow us to begin to define features where we can expect parametric variation in Eastern Bantu languages
Zambia: Editorial Comment - COVID-19 -Epidemiological Thought on Why Politics and Religion are Compromising the Fight
Get PDFOne of the good tenets of epidemiology is the fact that it offers skeptical disposition. Institutionalized skepticism is important in science and policymaking. In the case of Zambia, skepticism questions why the proponents of COVID-19 guidelines and prescriptions have become the ardent violators of the guidelines they espouse. Such practices among political leaders is paralyzing, especially in contexts of information and messages from WHO at this critical juncture that call for pragmatism-especially with the peak of a pandemic curve and surging infection rate, considering that we do not have additional alternative interventions apart from adhering to non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing, staying at home, wearing masks and hand hygiene. Deliberate and unnecessary political and religious gatherings inaction carries the risk of dire consequences, some of which have already led to suspected COVID-19 deaths of members of parliament and hospitalization of a sizeable number of political leaders. Despite all these the proceedings of parliament remained active as though COVID-19 is history. Such reckless political gatherings question the governance ethos of public health epidemiology instituted by the same people violating them. Religious leaders are not immune to this vice- a number of COVID-19-related deaths have passed through churches with body viewings being conducted. It should be mentioned that such behaviors have led to preventing action against COVID-19 outrunning evidence, or at least helping evidence to catch up. A myopic continued action of ignoring COVID-19 guidelines by politicians and religious leaders is a disservice to epidemiology
Evaluating Stress in Undergraduate Allied Health Science Students at a University in Ghana
Get PDFBackground: High sources of stress have been reported in health-care students. Professional education can be a stressful experience for some individuals and may impact negatively on emotional well-being and academic performance. However, there is a dearth of literature in Ghana concerning this field. This study set out to assess the sources and levels of stress faced by undergraduate allied health science students at University of Ghana in Ghana
Methodology: We set out to carry out a cross sectional study at the School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, and our sample included 304 Allied Health Science students. The Undergraduate Sources of Stress questionnaire was administered to Allied Health students in all years of available undergraduate courses of the School. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 utilizing Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Academic concerns were rated the highest stress level for all students, particularly the amount of material to learn (2.80±1.14), time demands (2.71±1.15) and overall stress (2.70±1.10). Stress levels between the various departments varied significantly (P=0.011), whereas the stress levels varied insignificantly between levels of training (P=0.856) and between male and female students (P=0.725).
Conclusion: The study revealed academic concerns including the amount of material to learn, time demands of the course as well as financial issues as the greatest stressors among students. The findings of this study emphasize the need to organize stress management seminars or workshops upon admission into the respective programmes
Knowledge and Perception of the Role of Physiotherapy Among Members of Hockey Teams In Accra Ghana
Get PDFBackground: Physiotherapy plays an important role in the prevention and management of sports injuries to enable athletes return to play when fully fit. In Ghana first aid personnel and team masseurs generally manage sports injuries. Inadequate knowledge on the role of Physiotherapy may be the reason for not seeking Physiotherapy services. We objectively set out to determine the knowledge and perception about the role of Physiotherapy in managing sports injuries among hockey players and technical staff.
Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 65 members of 15 hockey teams in Accra. Participants included female and male hockey players between the ages of 15 and 50, coaches and team managers. They were made to complete a self-administered questionnaire. Data obtained was analyzed using SPSS, version 23. Spearman correlation was used to determine the association between variables at a significant level of 5%.
Results: Fifty hockey players and 15 technical staff took part in the study. Majority (94%) and (91%) of participants identified ice and exercises as modalities used by Physiotherapists. About 66.2% of hockey players had high knowledge and perception (p=0.032) about the role of Physiotherapy and reported that 18% of their injuries were treated by a Physiotherapist while majority (89%) were of the view that a Physiotherapist is a competent professional. Sixty-six percent participants perceived that Physiotherapists were involved in research, however, there was no significant association between, knowledge, perception and years of experience of hockey players (p=0.945) and technical staff (p=0.201).
Conclusion: Majority of participants had good knowledge and perception on the role of Physiotherapy in training common hockey injuries, although very few of their injuries were managed by Physiotherapists. There is a need to educate players and technical staff on the role of Physiotherapy in the prevention and management of sports injuries, which may encourage players to seek early treatment for injuries rehabilitation
Quality of Life Among Caregivers of Stroke Survivors in Accra, Ghana
Get PDFBackground: The impact of stroke on the quality of life of stroke caregivers is often given lower priority in its management, regardless of the consequences of caregiving and its economic benefits to the patient and community at large. Currently there is paucity of research data on quality of life among caregivers of stroke survivors in Ghana. Objective: To investigate the quality of life (QoL) among caregivers of stroke survivors.
Methods: Fifty stroke survivors and their caregivers attending physiotherapy at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra and fifty non-caregivers were purposively recruited for this cross-sectional study. World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQoL)-Bref was used to obtain information regarding the QoL of the caregivers and non-caregivers. The level of functional independence of the stroke survivors was assessed with Barthel Index. Independent t-test and unpaired t-test were used to analyse the data obtained.
Results: The mean age of the caregivers, stroke survivors and the non-caregivers were 41.6±14.2, 59.5±10.9, and 41.5±14.8 respectively. Out of the 50 caregivers, 31(62%) were females. The overall QoL of the caregivers and non-caregivers were 54.5±10.3 and 59.3±9.8 respectively. There was significant difference in the physical health between caregivers and non-caregivers.
Conclusion: Caregivers of stroke survivors in Accra have reduced QoL. The level of functional independence of the stroke survivor, age and educational status of the caregiver can influence caregivers’ QoL
Views of Stakeholders on Career Guidance Services Provided to Pupils with Hearing Impairment at Nsonta Secondary School in Kasama District, Zambia
Get PDFThe study sought to establish views of stakeholders on career guidance services provided to pupils with hearing impairment at Nsonta Secondary school in Kasama district of Zambia. The study was guided by the following study objectives: to explore views of stakeholders on how career guidance was being provided to pupils with hearing impairment and to describe teachers’ ability to communicate in sign language during career guidance activities at Nsonta secondary school. The study was qualitative in nature and used a case study design. Interview guides were used on a sample of 25 pupils with hearing impairment, two career guidance teachers and six subject teachers. The sample was selected using purposive sampling techniques while analysis of data was done thematically. The study revealed that: career guidance services were mostly provided through one on one, in groups and industrial education visits by the career guidance teachers and the subject teachers. It was also revealed that the career guidance teachers dealing with pupils were knowledgeable in sign language, and other three of the subject teachers were not. The study recommended that, teachers needed adequate knowledge and skills in sign language through Continuing Professional Development (CPDs) programs to communicate well with pupils with hearing impairment
Ideologically-based Polarisation and Racism in Discourse
Get PDF“The privileged” against “the others”, “Us” against “Them”, “the Top” against “the Bottom” and “the
Citizen” against “the Refugee/Immigrant”- are all ideologically-based discourses that classify human
beings. The present study, being discourse analytical, aims to shed light on some discourses of polarization
that are ideologically based and detect examples of such discourses in various fields as politics, science,
sport and education. Methodological framework is based on Van Dijk’s models of ideological discourse
analysis (2006a, 2006b &2007). Accordingly, a critical analysis of these discourses is applied in order to
decode the meaning that lies deep within them, a meaning that reveals the deeply-rooted ideology that
makes some believe that they deserve to be “the privileged” while other people are “the others” that are not
privileged. Van Dijk’s model of ingroup-outgroup polarization (Emphasizing Our good things and Their bad
things; Mitigating Our bad things and their good things) stands as a comprehensive/abstract standard that is
to be detected in the data of this study. The paper concludes that the critical analysis of discourse has shown
polarization/racism to be widespread in different fields of life. It calls for making changes in the way people
think and conceive of “the others”- a first step towards a better socio-political atmosphere
Allusiveness, Language and Imagery in Francis Moto's Gazing at The Setting Sun
Get PDFFrancis Moto is a Malawian writer who has published poetry both in vernacular (Chichewa) and in English. His poetry in English appears in a collection titled Gazing at the Setting Sun published in 1994, the year Malawians voted Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda and his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) out of power. Besides recording the suffering of Malawians during the autocratic leadership of the first post-independence president, Dr Banda, and remembering the author's childhood experiences, the poetry also celebrates Malawi's political transformation from one party rule to multiparty democracy in the early 1990s. In the poems, Moto also looks to the future with a sense of hope for a better society where human rights and the rule of law will be respected. This article analyses Moto's poems with the aim of celebrating his successes as a poet. This is done by focusing on his more successful poems in terms of style. It is argued in this article that the success of some of Moto's poems in Gazing at the Setting Sun depends on his allusions to and evocations of dictatorship and political change in Malawi. These evocations and allusions depend on his imagery and choice of words and expressions. In the analysis of the poems, close reading with a particular focus on style is done. The discussion is in two parts. The first part discusses Moto's poems that allude to the dictatorial reign of Dr Banda in Malawi and the second part provides a discussion of Moto's imagery in relation to his evocation of political change
Night-time Chronotherapy with Diuretics: Effect on Sleep Quality and Duration in Patients with Hypertension in Lusaka, Zambia
Get PDFPoor sleep plays an important role in the prevalence of hypertension. It increases the prevalence rate to 60%. The night-time dosing of blood pressure-lowering drugs has yielded positive results. Scholars have rarely investigated the relationship between night-time dosing of diuretics and the quality of sleep. The study aimed at evaluating quality and duration of sleep while on night-time dosing of diuretics and determine the commonly used blood pressure-lowering medication at University Teaching Hospital.
The study was a Prospective Cohort Study with 12 weeks follow-up. The sample consisted of 46 patients with hypertension, and on a diuretic, 25 of whom were taking their medication in the evening at 10 PM (study group), and 18 were in the 10 AM dosing schedule as a control.
Overall, 43 were included in the analysis. Baseline and follow-up at 2, 8 and 12 Sleep quality and duration, and blood pressure level were available for 43 (93.5%) individuals. The study recruited more women (76.1%), and the majority were on hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride combination (65.2%). The 10 PM dosing showed better in quality of sleep and duration, and blood pressure-lowering as the follow-up continued with a p-value of less than 0.05 for Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and for the blood pressure-lowering at 12 weeks.
The study showed beneficial effects of 10 PM dosing of diuretics in hypertensive patients, and the diuretic effect does not affect the quality and duration of sleep. Further, 10 PM dosing lowers the blood pressure significantly compared with 10 AM