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Primary caregiver experiences and perspectives on caring for a child with chronic kidney disease within a South African context
No full textSubmitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the Degree of Philosophy (PhD), Faculty of Health Science, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.Background: Informal and unpaid caregivers play an important role in the management
of paediatric patients who have chronic kidney disease (CKD). The burdens that the
caregivers experience during their caregiving roles and responsibilities have not been
extensively researched, particularly within this patient population. The high physical,
psychosocial and economic burdens experienced by the caregiver can in turn lead to
negative impact on the child’s health outcomes and medical treatment. This study
ascertained the burdens that caregivers experienced, in their care of paediatric CKD
patients, who were receiving haemodialysis, in the renal unit of a large public hospital in
KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Methods of communication and types of information
provided by the renal healthcare team and the support needs of caregivers to reduce
burden, anxiety and social dysfunction was elicited.
Methods: Two standardized instruments, namely, the General Health Questionnaire - 12
and the Paediatric Renal-Care Burden Scale were used to ascertain burden, anxiety, and
social dysfunction experienced among caregivers of CKD paediatric patients on
haemodialysis. Two semi-structured questionnaires were administered. In the first
instance, caregivers were asked to provide information on areas that could assist them
to alleviate the burden of caregiving and the second questionnaire was used to ascertain
from renal staff, the methods they used to communicate with, and the information they
provided to caregivers.
Results: Twenty-one caregivers participated in the study, with females providing most of
the caregiving duties (76.2%). Using the PR-CBS, financial burden emerged as the
highest burden experienced (mean = 4,86 and SD = 0,77). The use of the GHQ – 12,
revealed that anxiety and distress were significantly high in caregivers (mean = 0.95 and
0.85) respectively. Overall, 18 caregivers had moderate to high burden. The total mean
burden score for the PR-CBS for females was significantly higher than that for males
(11.30; SD = 6.11 vs 7.83; SD = 4.70). This is confirmed by the total mean burden score
declared by females for GHQ – 12, which was also significantly higher than that declared
by males (6.58; SD = 2.83 vs 3.75; SD = 1.80). There was significant positive correlation
between GHQ-12 anxiety score (p= 0.003) and PR-CBS burden score (p = 0.005).
Conclusion: The prevalence of burdens, anxiety and social dysfunction was significantly
high among caregivers of CKD paediatric patients and is often overlooked by the renal Background: Informal and unpaid caregivers play an important role in the management
of paediatric patients who have chronic kidney disease (CKD). The burdens that the
caregivers experience during their caregiving roles and responsibilities have not been
extensively researched, particularly within this patient population. The high physical,
psychosocial and economic burdens experienced by the caregiver can in turn lead to
negative impact on the child’s health outcomes and medical treatment. This study
ascertained the burdens that caregivers experienced, in their care of paediatric CKD
patients, who were receiving haemodialysis, in the renal unit of a large public hospital in
KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Methods of communication and types of information
provided by the renal healthcare team and the support needs of caregivers to reduce
burden, anxiety and social dysfunction was elicited.
Methods: Two standardized instruments, namely, the General Health Questionnaire - 12
and the Paediatric Renal-Care Burden Scale were used to ascertain burden, anxiety, and
social dysfunction experienced among caregivers of CKD paediatric patients on
haemodialysis. Two semi-structured questionnaires were administered. In the first
instance, caregivers were asked to provide information on areas that could assist them
to alleviate the burden of caregiving and the second questionnaire was used to ascertain
from renal staff, the methods they used to communicate with, and the information they
provided to caregivers.
Results: Twenty-one caregivers participated in the study, with females providing most of
the caregiving duties (76.2%). Using the PR-CBS, financial burden emerged as the
highest burden experienced (mean = 4,86 and SD = 0,77). The use of the GHQ – 12,
revealed that anxiety and distress were significantly high in caregivers (mean = 0.95 and
0.85) respectively. Overall, 18 caregivers had moderate to high burden. The total mean
burden score for the PR-CBS for females was significantly higher than that for males
(11.30; SD = 6.11 vs 7.83; SD = 4.70). This is confirmed by the total mean burden score
declared by females for GHQ – 12, which was also significantly higher than that declared
by males (6.58; SD = 2.83 vs 3.75; SD = 1.80). There was significant positive correlation
between GHQ-12 anxiety score (p= 0.003) and PR-CBS burden score (p = 0.005).
Conclusion: The prevalence of burdens, anxiety and social dysfunction was significantly
high among caregivers of CKD paediatric patients and is often overlooked by the renal healthcare team. The experiences of this unique population of caregivers are complex
and multifaceted, but despite the various challenges they encounter, they continue to
provide care and support for their young patients. Renal healthcare practitioners may
use the findings to develop and provide suitable supportive interventions and resources
for these caregivers. It is essential that these be included in treatment guidelines for the
ill child, not only to reduce caregiver burdens but also to improve the overall CKD
paediatric patient outcomes.
An assessment of the health hazards that employees face in relation to the recycling programme at a beverage company in KwaZulu-Natal
No full textDissertation submitted in full compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Health Sciences at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2023.The foundational understanding of recycling in industry and the different waste
streams that exist, together with the health hazards associated with these waste
streams and how to manage them, is not clearly understood by all employees involved
in the process. It is the duty of an organisation to provide training and information on
this practice to adequately equip employees to function better in the workplace.
Research suggests that not understanding the health hazards associated with
recycling can lead to detrimental health consequences. However, could the lack of
understanding of this practice result from a lack of poor implementation of the recycling
programme, a behaviour or attitude issue linked to inadequate training or
behaviours/challenges related to the training programmes?
AIM AND OBJECTIVES
The study aimed to assess the health hazards that employees were exposed to due
to waste separation activities at a beverage company in KwaZulu Natal (KZN). The
objectives of the study were to assess if the current recycling programme had been
adequately implemented. In addition, the study addressed factors associated with
health hazards and varying levels of awareness, staff perceptions, challenges, and
attitudes within the organisation. Health hazards related to these factors,
implementation of the programme and the effectiveness of the monitoring of the
programme were also addressed.
METHODOLOGY
A quantitative study using the stratified random sampling method was used to collect
data from 136 participants. Data from the questionnaires were statistically analysed
using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Software (SPSS Version 26) with
a p-value of ≤ 0.05 indicating statistical significance. The data presents the descriptive
statistics using graphs, figures, cross-tabulations, and tables. The inferential statistics
used were the chi-square test and correlations values and were interpreted using the
p-values. RESULTS
Biographical data of respondents reported a ratio of 3:1 (p<0.001) males to females in
the organisation. A post-school qualification was held by 50%. From an awareness
perspective, it could be seen that awareness was evident in a few respondents. Most
respondents exhibited the correct attitude to the recycling programme and had positive
perceptions towards the programmes.
CONCLUSION
Recycling is of concern both in South Africa and internationally, therefore, the need
for this research was necessary. This study found that the existing programmes are
inadequate to meet the training needs of the employees due to various barriers. There
is an action plan in place to address the concerns of this programme. Recycling
programmes share many similarities and differences with those of other sustainability programmes. It is for this reason that the training and implementation processes
should be reviewed and assessed to derive best practices that can be incorporated
into current recycling programmes.
An examination of the moral conundrum of informed consent within the framework of African values and belief systems : a case study
No full textThe notion of bio-medical ethics, which places a strong focus on individual autonomy when
considering informed consent, is mostly inspired by western European medical and moral
traditions, leaving African traditions and values out of the practice of medical ethics. This is
due to the fact that African customs and values favour communitarianism above individualism.
In African culture, your strong relationships with people in the community which include
sharing everything, including decision-making are what define you as a human being. As a
result, it is clear that when applied to the majority of Africans, the idea of individual liberty in
informed consent is inapplicable. This is because African communitarian ethics focuses on the
interests of the family, community and society and not the individual. Thus, there might be a
conflict in the application of the western principle of medical ethics in the general population
in Africa. This review paper intends to use published articles, reports, case studies, and ethical
principles to explore this potential conflict
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
PAIN MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE: A CASE STUDY OF PATIENTS IN A PRIVATE RENAL FACILITY IN KWAZULU-NATAL.
Get PDFBackground
Pain management in chronic kidney disease patients is extremely complicated. An estimated 82% of patients with chronic kidney disease have moderate to severe pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the types, frequency, and severity of pain experienced by patients with chronic kidney disease, as well as to suggest strategies that patients and staff could use to manage the patient's pain.
Methods
At the Durban Kidney and Dialysis Centre, 60 patients were given questionnaires to assess their level of pain severity and management control. The participants were subjected to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patient's medical records were examined. The research was carried out between September 2017 and March 2018. For analysis, relevant statistical methods were used. Patients were all on hemodialysis and averaged 57 years old.
Results
According to the findings of this study, most patients reported pain symptoms during dialysis, and 72.3% of the pain experienced was moderate to severe, indicating that pain is a major symptom burden in this patient population.
Conclusion
Both patients and staff would benefit from learning about different types of pain management therapies (both pharmacological and non-pharmacological), as well as the long-term consequences of pain going undiagnosed and untreated.
Recommendations
The results show that pain is a major symptom burden but the use of analgesics is under-prescribed. Pain management, interventions, and strategies should be a research priority because pain is a valid and considerable health concern in the increasing CKD patient population
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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