SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “SOUTH AFRICA”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 577 records · Page 32Linked to original sources

PubMed1985

Serum antibodies to human T-cell leukaemia virus type I in different ethnic groups and in non-human primates in South Africa.

The prevalence of humoral antibodies to human T-cell leukaemia virus type I (HTLV-I) was investigated in different ethnic groups and in non-human primates in South Africa. Serum antibody levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using either disrupted whole HTLV-I or purified p24 core protein (p24 HTLV-I) as antigens. ELISA was complemented by direct radio-immunoprecipitation assays using either purified iodinated p24 HTLV-I or radiolabelled lysates of an HTLV-producing cell line as antigen followed by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the immunoprecipitates, and by immunofluorescence using the HTLV-I-producing cell line HUT-102 as antigen. Antibodies were demonstrated in 3,5% of Asians, 3,5% of blacks and 4,1% of coloureds, but not in whites, and also in 29% of vervet monkeys and 33% of baboons. We conclude that HTLV-I or closely related viruses cause widespread infection in non-human primates in South Africa and in a lower percentage of humans, including apparently healthy blood donors. We are currently isolating retroviruses from seropositive reactors and investigating the possible relevance to disease in South Africa.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Market and product assessment of probiotic/prebiotic-containing functional foods and supplements manufactured in South Africa.

OBJECTIVES: Probiotic and prebiotic products manufactured in South Africa were identified and health and content claims stated on the labels were evaluated according to available scientific evidence, the proposed South African regulations in the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act (Act No. 54 of 1972, www.doh.gov.za), and microbial assessment. RESULTS: The range of products identified included probiotic- and/or prebiotic-containing supplements (capsules), food items fortified with probiotics and/or prebiotics, and fermented food containing probiotics, e.g. dairy products. Most of the health-related claims on the labels of the identified products do not comply with proposed South African regulations. However, results also indicate that the proposed South African regulations should be reconsidered to include an additional 5 claims, for which scientifically sound evidence is available. The claims regarding probiotic strains, viable cell numbers, prebiotic type and concentration stated on the labels of the products are mostly in line with the proposed South African regulations. The actual viable cell content of 3 out of 5 probiotic supplements readily available on the South African market did not comply with the content claim stated on the label. However, this problem did not seem to affect the inhibitory activity of the probiotic strains against indicator strains isolated from faeces of patients diagnosed with AIDS. To validate this finding in vivo assessments should be implemented before considering the need to include a wider range of prescribed viable cell numbers in the proposed South African regulations. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed South African regulations regarding probiotic- and prebiotic-containing products should be revised based on the results of this research, and the manufacturers of these products should be held responsible for providing the consumer with scientifically sound and legally correct information.

Consumer Product Safety↗

PubMed1999

Factors influencing the population pharmacokinetic parameters of phenytoin in adult epileptic patients in South Africa.

The influence of various covariates (including weight, race, smoking, gender, age, mild-to-moderate alcohol intake, and body surface area) on the population pharmacokinetic parameters of phenytoin in adult epileptic patients in South Africa was investigated. The parameters were the maximum metabolic rate (Vm) and the Michaelis-Menten (MM) constant (Km) of phenytoin. The study population comprised 332 black and colored epileptic patients (note: "black" refers to indigenous people of South Africa, who speak one of the Bantu languages as their native language; "colored" refers to people considered to be of mixed race, classified as such by the apartheid former government of South Africa). The influence of covariates on Vm and Km estimates was determined using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling (NONMEM). Parameter models describing the factors that could potentially influence Vm and Km were tested using the Michaelis-Menten parallel MM and first-order elimination models, to which 853 steady state dose-to-serum concentration pairs were fitted. The results indicated that body weight, smoking, race, and age (65 years or older), in descending order of importance, significantly influenced Vm (p < 0.05). Although a significant difference (p = 0.03) in Km was found between black and colored patients, incorporating the influence of race in Km in the final regression model did not improve the fit of the model to the data, which indicated that the variability in Km was accounted for by Vm. The scaling factors for smoking, colored patients and age (65 years or older) in Vm were 1.16, 1.10, and 0.88, respectively. These factors should be taken into account when adjusting phenytoin dose.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Black teenage pregnancy in South Africa: some considerations.

Black teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases in South Africa have reached a threatening level. Accepting that teenage pregnancy is multi-causational, this article outlines selected consequences. It concludes that teenage pregnancy as a social problem needs reexamination in terms of two hypotheses: that the pheronomal climate has an impact on prepuberal girls; and that teenage pregnancy is nature's way of ensuring the survival of the species.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Blood transfusions, HIV and legal liability in South Africa.

This article deals with the legislation, regulations and clinical guidelines regulating blood transfusions in South Africa. Although these are aimed at protecting both the recipients and donors of blood, the risk of HIV infected blood being donated and transfused is on the increase, due to inter alia, the high prevalence of HIV infection among the South African population. The article discusses, in the absence of strict liability in South Africa, the possible legal liability of blood services, medical practitioners, the Department of Health, and the blood donor when a recipient of blood is infected. The need for informed consent by both the recipient and the donor is also discussed, as well as the legal repercussions where informed consent is lacking.

Blood Transfusion↗

PubMed2000

The composition of old age homes in South Africa in relation to the residents and nursing personnel.

This research project is the first phase of a larger study aimed at describing and exploring the cost-effective utilisation of nursing personnel in old age homes in South Africa. The aim in the first phase was to describe the composition of the residents and nursing personnel of old age homes in South Africa. An exploratory and descriptive survey was conducted and the data was collected by means of a questionnaire. The questionnaire also included data on the financial implications of utilising professional nursing personnel to manage the care of the frail residents/older persons in old age homes in South Africa. The questionnaires were mailed to 612 old age homes published in the Hospital and Nursing Yearbook of 1997 (100% sample). A total of 145 (23.69%) questionnaires were returned and included in the descriptive data analysis. The residents are mainly female (77%), older than 85 years of age, belong to the white race group (83.74%) and are highly dependent on nursing care and supervision (69.7%). Old age homes are mainly managed/controlled by welfare organisations and lay health care workers are utilised to a large extent (42.22% of the nursing workforce) to render nursing care to the frail residents. The cost-effective utilisation of nursing personnel (registered and enrolled), as well as the utilisation of lay health workers in old age homes, needs to be critically examined.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2003

A comparison of attitudes of medical students in England and in South Africa towards patients with life-limiting illness.

All medical schools in the U.K. now include teaching in palliative care in the undergraduate curriculum, and this is mirrored in Europe and the U.S.A. In South Africa, however, palliative care education and provision are not widely available. An increasing number of medical and nursing staff are invited to teach palliative care in other countries. Such teaching should, however, take into account the cultural attitudes the students have towards the care of patients with a chronic or terminal illness. Nineteen statements on attitudes were constructed, and medical students in Leicester, U.K., and in Medunsa, South Africa, were invited to respond to them using a 10-point Likert scale. The questionnaire was distributed before either cohort of students had received any teaching in this area. Students in South Africa were significantly more likely to want to work in a speciality where most patients were likely to be cured (p < 0.001) and significantly less likely to believe that caring for dying patients could be rewarding (p < 0.001). South African medical students had significantly fewer positive attitudes than had their U.K. counterparts toward patients being informed of a terminal prognosis (p < 0.001). This study indicates that cultural differences between medical students may have an effect on the teaching of care for patients with life-limiting illness. This has relevance for curriculum delivery, especially when professionals are invited to teach or develop material on palliative care for other countries.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

The acceptability of the female condom: perspectives of family planning providers in New York City, South Africa, and Nigeria.

This article seeks to fill the gap in female condom acceptability research by examining family planning (FP) providers' attitudes and experiences regarding the female condom in three countries (South Africa, the US, and Nigeria) to highlight providers' potential integral role in the introduction of the female condom. The case studies used data drawn from three independent projects, each of which was designed to study or to change FP providers' attitudes and practices in relation to the female condom. The case study for New York City used data from semistructured interviews with providers in one FP consortium in which no special female condom training had been undertaken. The data from South Africa were drawn from transcripts and observations of a female condom training program and from interviews conducted in preparation for the training. The Nigerian study used observations of client visits before and after providers were trained concerning the female condom. In New York City, providers were skeptical about the contraceptive efficacy of the female condom, with only 8 of 22 providers (36%) reporting they would recommend it as a primary contraceptive. In South Africa, providers who had practiced insertion of the female condom as part of their training expressed concern about its physical appearance and effects on sexual pleasure. However, they also saw the female condom as a tool to empower clients to increase their capacity for self-protection. Structured observations of providers' counseling interactions with clients following training indicated that Nigerian providers discussed the female condom with clients in 80% of the visits observed. Despite the lack of a uniform methodology, the three case studies illuminate various dimensions of FP providers' perceptions of the acceptability of the female condom. FP providers must be viewed as a critical factor in female condom acceptability, uptake, and continued use. Designing training programs and other interventions that address sources of provider resistance and enhance providers' skills in teaching female condom negotiation strategies may help to increase clients' use of the female condom.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2005

Disposal of unwanted pesticides in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Unwanted pesticides in developing countries are major environmental health threats. This study followed-up a previous audit of unwanted and obsolete pesticides on farms in a rural district of South Africa six years after a National Retrieval Project (NPR) was undertaken. METHODS: A descriptive survey of 37 farms that had been in possession of unwanted pesticides in a 1995 survey and a purposive sample of 34 neighbouring farms, was carried out. The survey data included farm details; details of unwanted pesticide stocks, volumes of empty containers and safety and hygiene of pesticide stores. In addition, management was asked if they had been informed about and participated in the 1997 NPR and similarly whether they were aware of the retrieval planned by the African Stockpiles Programme (ASP). RESULTS: Forty (56%) farms were in possession of obsolete pesticides of which 24 (59%) were farms that had unwanted stocks in the previous survey. There were more than 9 tonnes of these pesticides, 50% more than in the previous survey, including 20 chemicals banned, withdrawn or restricted in South Africa or classified as WHO Class I toxicity. Over 2,800 kg of pesticides (30%) were not identifiable. None of the farms participated in the NPR, although 47 knew of the initiative. Only six farmers (9%) knew of the ASP initiative. Fifty-nine farms (83%) had empty containers on the premises. Most pesticide stores (67%) had floors contaminated with chemicals. CONCLUSION: The survey found that despite the NPR, the problem of unwanted pesticides in the study area and probably throughout South Africa has deteriorated. National and international policies should control the problem at source and encourage more sustainable agriculture.

Agriculture↗

PubMedDate not supplied

'I am what I am because of who we all are': international perspectives on rehabilitation: South Africa.

This article provides an overview of some of the important factors that impinge on people with cerebral palsy and their families, on medical and rehabilitation personnel, and on systems of healthcare and education in South Africa. Information is provided with regard to the national contextual variables that influence intervention in the country. The incidence of cerebral palsy is related to some of the more prominent aetiological variables including poverty, malaria, HIV/Aids and premature birth. Health care systems available for children with cerebral palsy are discussed, including the role of traditional healers. Access to education, training and care of children with cerebral palsy is described, including a brief history of specialized education in South Africa. An overview of the personnel, approaches and work contexts involved in rehabilitation highlights the unique nature of intervention in South Africa. The article concludes with recommendations for interventionists with reference to lessons that can be learned in terms of adapting skills and knowledge to local needs, in order to work successfully with children with cerebral palsy and to develop the resilience of their families. In addition, it is suggested that the definition of cerebral palsy needs to reflect the context in which the person lives.

Cerebral Palsy↗

PubMed1996

Adolescent sexual behaviour, knowledge and attitudes to sexuality among school girls in Transkei, South Africa.

Teenagers make up a quarter of all mothers in Transkei, South Africa, and well over 75% of them are unmarried. Such a high rate of teenage pregnancy is indicative of a high level of unprotected adolescent sexual activity. We examined sexual behaviour, knowledge and attitudes to sexuality among adolescent school girls in Transkei, using a self-administered questionnaire, in order to establish the incidence of sexual activity, and associated risk factors. Of the 1072 respondents, 74.6% were already sexually experienced, and 21.0% were not. The majority of sexually experienced girls (SEGs) and sexually inexperienced girls (SIGs) were living with both their parents. There were no religious differences between the two groups of girls. The age of SEGs at first coitus correlated positively with the age of menarche, and the age at the first date, suggesting that sexual maturation and onset of dating were possible risk factors for initiation of sexual activity. Contraceptive use was low, and a third of SEGs had been pregnant at least once. The knowledge of reproductive biology among both groups of girls was generally poor, although SEGs were significantly more knowledgeable than SIGs. The majority of girls in both groups did not approve of premarital sex, and adolescent pregnancy. They also did not approve of the idea of introducing sex education in schools, or the provision of contraceptives by schools. Nearly a third of the respondents in both groups did not wish to get married in future. In conclusion, there is a high level of unprotected sexual activity among school girls in Transkei. The risk factors for this include early sexual maturation, early onset of dating, and poor knowledge of reproductive biology and contraceptives.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1980

The prevalence of Huntington's chorea in South Africa.

The results of a national investigation to determine the prevalence of Huntington's chorea in South Africa are presented. A total of 481 persons who have died from or are presently suffering from the disorder have been identified. The prevalence rate of 0,1 per million in the South African Negro population is much less than the estimate of 22 per million in the White and Coloured groups. It is apparent that the great variation in the ethnic distribution of the disease is a reflection of the diverse origins of the different population groups of South Africa.

Black People↗

PubMed2005

Orthodontic status and treatment need of 12-year-old children in South Africa using the Dental Aesthetic Index.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs in a sample of 12-year-old South African school children using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI), and to assess the relationship between malocclusion and certain socio-demographic variables. METHODOLOGY: The sample comprised 6142, 12-year-old children attending school in seven of the nine provinces of South Africa. For each subject the standard demographic information such as gender, population group, location type and employment status of the parents was collected, after which an intra-oral examination for occlusal status using the DAI was performed. Before the survey, the examiners were calibrated and trained and only examiners with an agreement score greater or equal to 80 per cent were included in the final study. RESULTS: The results showed that 47.7 per cent of the children in the sample presented with good occlusion or minor malocclusion, just over 52.3 per cent presented with identifiable malocclusion, a DAI score larger than 26. Of these, 21.2 per cent had definite malocclusion, 14.1 per cent had severe malocclusion and 16.9 per cent had very severe or handicapping malocclusion. Malocclusion as defined in this study was found to be significantly associated with the different population groups in South Africa, with gender and with dentition stage, but not with the location type or the employment status of parents. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show a high prevalence of malocclusion in 12-year-old South African children. The findings provide reliable base-line data regarding the prevalence, distribution and severity of malocclusion as well as useful epidemiological data on the orthodontic treatment needs of 12-year-old children in South Africa.

Child↗

PubMed2004

Childhood mortality among former Mozambican refugees and their hosts in rural South Africa.

BACKGROUND: It is important to monitor health differentials between population groups to understand how they are generated. Internationally displaced people represent one potentially disadvantaged group. We investigated differentials in mortality between children from former Mozambican refugee and host South African households in a rural sub-district in the north-east of South Africa. METHODS: Open prospective cohort of 30 276 children (80 462 person years of follow-up) followed from 1 January 1992 to 31 October 2000 in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Exposure and outcomes data came from the Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System (DSS). RESULTS: There was no difference in infant mortality between children from former Mozambican refugee households and those from South African homes (adjusted rate ratio [RR] = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.79, 1.32), but mortality levels were higher among former Mozambican refugee children during the next 4 years (adjusted RR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.50, 2.42). Increased mortality levels were also seen among children from larger households and whose mother died, while children born to mothers aged >40 years or with higher education were at lower risk. Measured maternal, household, and health service utilization characteristics could not explain the difference in mortality between children from former Mozambican refugee and South African households. Former Mozambican refugee children residing in refugee settlements had higher mortality rates than those residing in more established villages. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates higher childhood, but not infant, mortality rates among children from former Mozambican refugee households compared with those from host South African households in rural South Africa. The lack of legal status and lower wealth of many former Mozambican refugees may partly explain this disparity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Asbestos exposure and mesothelioma in South Africa.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the exposure experiences of South African mesothelioma cases, with emphasis on the contribution made to the caseload by different fibre types, the proportion of subjects with no recall of asbestos exposure and only environmental contact, and the importance of putative causes other than asbestos. DESIGN: A multi-centred case-control study. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: 123 patients with mesothelioma interviewed by trained interviewers in study centres established in Johannesburg, Kimberley, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. RESULTS: A convincing history of asbestos exposure was obtained in the overwhelming majority of cases (only 5 cases had unlikely asbestos exposure). Twenty-three subjects had worked on Cape crocidolite mines, 3 at Penge (an amosite mine), 3 on mines producing amosite and Transvaal crocidolite and 1 on a Transvaal crocidolite mine. Exclusively environmental exposure accounted for at least 18% of cases; 91% of these cases (20/22 subjects) had had contact with Cape crocidolite. There was a relative paucity of cases linked to amosite and no convincing chrysotile case. Non-asbestos causes occur rarely, if at all, in South Africa. CONCLUSION: The preponderance of crocidolite cases, followed by amosite and then chrysotile cases, is consistent with the view that there is a fibre gradient of mesotheliomagenic potential for South African asbestos (crocidolite > amosite > chrysotile).

Asbestos, Amosite↗

PubMed2000

Cadaver profile at university of Stellenbosch Medical School, South Africa, 1956-1996.

Data on 1,698 cadavers donated during the period 1956-1996 were obtained from files of the Department of Anatomy and Histology at the University of Stellenbosch Medical School, Tygerberg Hospital, South Africa, to project a profile of the characteristics of those accepted on the program for dissection. A breakdown of the data also provided information on the profile of donors belonging to different population groups. Donors to our program were predominantly male (68%) and predominantly colored, which in South Africa identifies those of mixed heritage (63%). The average age of death was 55 years (range 15-98). Donors belonging to the white population group had the highest female : male ratio. Circulatory disorders accounted for most deaths in the white population group (48%), whereas cancer was the leading cause of death in the colored and black population groups ( approximately 25%). Pulmonary tuberculosis accounted for 13% deaths in the colored population group, 14% of deaths in the black population group, but only 0.5% of deaths in the white population group. Cervical cancer and breast cancer accounted for approximately one-third of cancer deaths in women, with cervical cancer more common in colored and black female donors and breast cancer more common in white female donors. The cadaver profile in general reflects the health status of the different population groups in South Africa. The profiles of the colored and black groups reflect that of disadvantaged population groups (a high prevalence of infectious disease; relatively young populations), whereas the white donor profile is that of a privileged population group (a high prevalence of degenerative disease; aging population).

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Genetic diversity of the Rep gene of beak and feather disease virus in South Africa.

A study on the genetic variation of Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) isolates in South Africa was performed by amplifying and sequencing a region within the ORF1 of the genome. Six different BFDV isolates were found in 15 psittacine species from 6 regions within South Africa, representing three unique isolates and three isolates that clustered into a budgerigar lineage (BG) previously described.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Low mortality from ischemic heart disease among urban blacks in South Africa.

Age- and sex-specific circulatory mortality rates among urban blacks and whites in South Africa in 1977 were compared using newly available census data. Mortality for cerebrovascular, hypertensive, and ischemic heart diseases differed markedly in the two races. Deaths due to cerebrovascular and hypertensive disease were always more common in blacks, whereas deaths attributable to ischemic heart disease were consistently greater among whites, by a factor that varied according to age, from 10-18 in men and 2-9 in women. These results suggest that hypertension is a common cause of death among urban blacks in South Africa but that it is not commonly associated with ischemic heart disease. The continuing low prevalence of ischemic heart disease among urban blacks is striking and may not be explained entirely by the levels of known risk factors.

Adult↗