1,721,012 research outputs found
An historical demographic investigation into mortality in three historical birth cohorts born between 1837 and 1900 in Mamre, with special reference to life expectancy
Full text linkThis thesis reports on an historical prospective study of three Mamre decadal birth cohorts (1837-1846, 1870-1879, and 1900-1909) constructed retrospectively through existing parish records of the Moravian Mission at Mamre in the Western Cape region of South Africa. Nominative data collection techniques were used to gather information needed to determine the infant mortality rates, quinquennial mortality rates and life expectancies of the three cohorts. Issues related to the quality of data – non-registration and follow-up - were investigated. Birth registration was best for the 1837-46 cohort for males and females, with the 1900-1909 registration being next best. Overall, male registration coverage was substantially better than that for females. Infant death registration was best for males in these 2 cohorts, but were poor for females. Based on these data, the infant mortality rates for the cohorts born in 1837-1846, 1870-1879 and 1900-1909 - 196, 182 and 128 per 1000 respectively for males and 160, 172 and 97 per 1000 respectively for females - appeared to be underestimates. There is some evidence of a downward trend for the infant mortality rates with time for males, but this was not statistically significant. Quinquennial mortality rates for the 3 cohorts did not differ statistically, and are similar to the 1935-37 national 'coloured' figures. The life expectancies also did not differ significantly between cohorts. The life expectancies at birth (range 34- 40 years for males and 32-45 years for females) were probably overestimates due to biased IMR's. The life expectancies at age 1 (range 41-44 for males and 37-49 for females) were more representative figures. Life expectancies at age 20 were fairly stable over time (37-45 years) except for females in the 1900-1909 cohort whose life expectancies were substantially higher than earlier figures. All mortality indices investigated in this study consistently showed a lighter burden of mortality in historical Mamre compared to 'coloureds' in the Cape Colony at the turn of the century. This is probably associated with the better housing, environmental, social, economic and educational conditions at the Mamre mission relative to the rest of the Colony in the century after the emancipation of slaves
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe 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
Full text link“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
The use and value of qualitative methods in health research in developing countries
No full textQualitative and quantitative research methods for public health were integrated in the past. Work at the Polela Health Center and the Institute of Family and Community Health (South Africa) in the 1940's epitomized how true integration was possible. Since the 1950's the growth of disciplines and boundaries between them; the growing emphasis by funding agencies on quantitative research that yields results rapidly at low cost and the dominance of the medical profession in public health together resulted in a separation of approaches. Recently, recognition of the need for integrated approaches has reemerged but the capacity to conduct appropriate research in developing countries is weak and they have relied on importing both researchers and their methods. Examples are given (mainly using focus group methods) of how innovative integrated approaches in developing countries have been used to implement community diagnoses, understand factors affecting health service utilization and identify factors amenable to intervention. It is concluded that while qualitative methods are needed (and used) in developing countries, their use will only increase if appropriate training initiatives in developing countries are undertaken.qualitative and quantitative research methods focus groups public health research developing countries
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe 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
Addressing Africa's health needs - time for strong South African involvement
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The Impact of Political Violence on Health and Health Services in Cape Town, South Africa, 1986: Methodological Problems and Preliminary Results
No full textTuberculosis in the Western Cape health region of South Africa
No full textTuberculosis (TB) is a major health problem in the Western Cape health region of South Africa. The incidence rate (based on notifications) is rising (particularly in coloureds) and the annual risk of infection is static in the highest risk group. Risk factors for infection, particularly as a result of overcrowding, and the number of infectious cases in the community are leading to an increase in the infectious pool. Potential risk factors for TB disease such as poor nutritional status, alcoholism, and unemployment are being exacerbated by the current political instability in the country. Poor patient compliance and several health service impediments have resulted in a large number of patients not being held on treatment until cure. There is a need to recognise that non-medical interventions are the key to a future successful TB control programme.tuberculosis epidemiology risk factors compliance South Africa disease control
The role of the private sector in improving food security and nutrition
No full textPolicy Seminar presentation by Derek Yach at IFPRI on September 7, 2011 "Leveraging Agriculture to Tackle Noncommunicable Diseases
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