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Results for “Vhembe District”

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PubMed2025

Men's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, Cultural Beliefs, and Perceived Risk and Susceptibility Regarding Prostate Cancer in the Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) awareness and knowledge among men in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa, remain inadequately studied despite the high local burden of the disease. This study investigates the knowledge, attitudes, practices, cultural beliefs, and perceived risk of PCa among men aged 40 and above in selected villages under the Mphaphuli and Niani tribal authorities. METHODS: A quantitative survey was conducted with 431 men, utilizing a questionnaire adapted from the African Women Awareness of Cancer (AWACAN) tool. The questionnaire, translated into Tshivenda, assessed socio-demographic data, awareness, knowledge of risk factors and symptoms, health-seeking behavior, and barriers to seeking medical help. RESULTS: The study revealed that 51.3% of participants had heard of PCa, while 48.7% had not. Awareness varied significantly with age, relationship status, education level, and language. Older men and those with higher education levels were more knowledgeable about PCa. Clinics, hospitals, and media were the primary sources of information. Misconceptions about risk factors were prevalent, with 24.0% of men indicating a preference for traditional healers for PCa symptoms. Barriers to medical help included fear of the disease, procedural fears, and cultural taboos. Multivariate analysis identified significant factors associated with PCa knowledge, including age, language, access to tap water, and cell phone ownership. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the importance of targeted educational interventions considering sociodemographic and cultural contexts. Future public health initiatives should focus on bridging the gap between traditional and modern medical practices to enhance health outcomes in the Vhembe District and similar settings.

Humans↗

PubMed2005

Multi-agent modelling of climate outlooks and food security on a community garden scheme in Limpopo, South Africa.

Seasonal climate outlooks provide one tool to help decision-makers allocate resources in anticipation of poor, fair or good seasons. The aim of the 'Climate Outlooks and Agent-Based Simulation of Adaptation in South Africa' project has been to investigate whether individuals, who adapt gradually to annual climate variability, are better equipped to respond to longer-term climate variability and change in a sustainable manner. Seasonal climate outlooks provide information on expected annual rainfall and thus can be used to adjust seasonal agricultural strategies to respond to expected climate conditions. A case study of smallholder farmers in a village in Vhembe district, Limpopo Province, South Africa has been used to examine how such climate outlooks might influence agricultural strategies and how this climate information can be improved to be more useful to farmers. Empirical field data has been collected using surveys, participatory approaches and computer-based knowledge elicitation tools to investigate the drivers of decision-making with a focus on the role of climate, market and livelihood needs. This data is used in an agent-based social simulation which incorporates household agents with varying adaptation options which result in differing impacts on crop yields and thus food security, as a result of using or ignoring the seasonal outlook. Key variables are the skill of the forecast, the social communication of the forecast and the range of available household and community-based risk coping strategies. This research provides a novel approach for exploring adaptation within the context of climate change.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2006

Training primary care nurses to conduct alcohol screening and brief interventions in South Africa.

Although progress has been made in developing a scientific basis for alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI), training packages are necessary for its widespread dissemination in primary care settings in developing societies. Using a training package developed by the World Health Organisation 121 nurses from one rural site (29 clinics in Vhembe District) and one urban site (3 clinics and 6 mobile clinics in Polokwane/ Seshego) in South Africa were compared before and after SBI training regarding knowledge and attitudes, and the subsequent practice of SBI in routine clinical practice. Although the training effects were at times moderate, all changes were in a direction more conducive to implementing SBI. Health care providers significantly increased in knowledge, confidence in SBI and higher self-efficacy in implementing SBI at follow-up after 9 months after receiving the training. When delivered in the context of a comprehensive SBI implementation programme, this training is effective in changing providers' knowledge, attitudes, and practice of SBI for at-risk drinking.

Adult↗