Tag: statistics

Curationis. 2025 Feb 21;48(1):e1-e7. doi: 10.4102/curationis.v48i1.2626.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Technology integration in higher education is a critical aspect of the 21st century, as it enhances student learning.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess students’ access to and utilisation of technological devices, as well as the integration of technology in nursing education at a higher education institution.

METHOD: A quantitative approach with a descriptive, cross-sectional study design was used. The study was conducted at a public university in Windhoek. Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire among 70 third-year nursing students pursuing a bachelor’s degree. The data were analysed using SPSS version 26.

RESULTS: Majority (74.2%) of the participants were aged 20-25 years, 82.9% were female, and 98.6% were single. More than half (58.6%) were Oshiwambo-speaking. Most participants (47.1%) owned technological devices. The majority (60.0%) preferred laptop computers, and the majority used cell phones, messaging apps, social media and WhatsApp daily for learning and communication. Most participants used technological devices to download learning materials, submit online assessments and contact lecturers and classmates. Most preferred a blended mode of learning, online formative assessments and face-to-face examinations.

CONCLUSION: The study found that most students owned and utilised technological devices, which facilitated blended learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Technology integration improved access to learning, as students were able to attend classes from locations with Internet access.Contribution: The study contributes to the body of knowledge on technology integration in higher education and highlights the importance of transforming higher education through the effective use of technology.

PMID:40035109 | DOI:10.4102/curationis.v48i1.2626

Curationis. 2025 Feb 20;48(1):e1-e7. doi: 10.4102/curationis.v48i1.2679.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Community health workers (CHWs) work with community members who experience various health problems. They assist community members to lead a healthy life and achieve an acceptable health status. To achieve this, there is a need for CHWs to apply Ubuntu philosophy when providing care related tuberculosis (TB), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess CHW’s knowledge of Ubuntu-informed Care in tuberculosis, HIV, and AIDS Services in Gauteng province, South Africa.

METHOD: A total of 380 CHWs were recruited from a district in Gauteng province to participate in a training on the management of TB, HIV and AIDS. A questionnaire with 40 multiple choice questions was administered to the CHWs before the training. SPSS version 28 was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS: The scores ranged from 9 to 33 out of 40 (M = 21.6, s.d. = 4.2). Out of the 380 participants, 274 (72.1%) passed the pretest while 106 participants (27.9%) failed. The highest mean scores were achieved by female participants (M = 21.6, s.d. = 4.3), participants aged 21-30 years (M = 21.8, s.d. = 4.1) and participants with additional course qualification after Grade 12 (M = 23.5, s.d. = 3.4).

CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the need for targeted training interventions to improve the knowledge of CHWs on TB, HIV and AIDS.Contribution: This study adds to the literature on the need for inclusion of Ubuntu when caring for people living with HIV and TB.

PMID:40035108 | DOI:10.4102/curationis.v48i1.2679

Curationis. 2025 Feb 19;48(1):e1-e8. doi: 10.4102/curationis.v48i1.2637.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Health professionals must keep their knowledge, skills and ethics up to date to ensure competency and promote the public interest, safety and health of all Namibians. In Namibia, little research exists on the facilitators of, and barriers to, nurses’ compliance with continuous professional development (CPD) requirements.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to explore and describe the facilitators of, and barriers to, nurses’ compliance with CPD requirements at Intermediate Hospital Oshakati (IHO) in the Oshana region of Namibia.

METHOD: Purposive sampling was used in this qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research study to select participants who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected via individual semi-structured interviews with 15 of the 550 nurses employed at the hospital, at which point data saturation was reached. The transcribed data were then analysed using thematic analysis. The collected data were analysed thematically using an inductive approach.

RESULTS: The findings were synthesised under three themes: facilitators of nurses’ participation in CPD, barriers to nurses’ participation in CPD and recommendations for improvements.

CONCLUSION: Time constraints, a shortage of nurses, limited access to digital technologies, a lack of funding for CPD training and a lack of accredited CPD service providers are major barriers to participation in CPD training. Strengthening communication and collaboration between health workers, CPD providers and management are specifically organisational factors seen as crucial to successful staff development.Contribution: The findings from this study can be used to create some targeted interventions and ongoing strategies to enhance nurses’ compliance with CPD requirements.

PMID:40035107 | DOI:10.4102/curationis.v48i1.2637

Curationis. 2025 Feb 18;48(1):e1-e9. doi: 10.4102/curationis.v48i1.2618.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A cervical cancer diagnosis has several implications for women’s lives. Living with cervical cancer in the context of sub-Sahara Africa’s unique challenges can have a devastating effect on psychosocial health.

OBJECTIVES: This study describes the publication output reporting psychosocial implications of cervical cancer for women living in sub-Saharan Africa.

METHOD: A scoping review was conducted using the keywords Africa and cervical cancer in combination with psychosocial, psychological, social, spiritual, cultural and financial to search five databases. A data extraction sheet was developed to capture the relative data, which was analysed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. Of the 294 articles initially identified, 18 were included in the review.

RESULTS: The majority of the studies (66.7%; n = 12) were qualitative. They focussed on five psychosocial domains – psychological including a lack of knowledge, misunderstanding and unmet information needs, the omnipresent experience of fear and sexual problems as well as social, cultural, spiritual and financial implications.

CONCLUSION: Work focussing on the psychosocial implications of cervical cancer in women living in sub-Saharan Africa is limited. Only one study focussed specifically on a psychosocial domain, the rest reported little about psychosocial issues. There is an urgent need for research that focusses exclusively on psychosocial health, separate from other studies.Contribution: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study synthesising research conducted on this specific topic. We mapped the extent of the current evidence base, identified gaps and highlighted areas requiring additional inquiry.

PMID:40035106 | DOI:10.4102/curationis.v48i1.2618

S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2025 Feb 28;67(1):e1-e9. doi: 10.4102/safp.v67i1.6020.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In Namibia, the Omuthiya Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Clinic has indicated that nine older adolescents (15-19 years) out of 125 adolescents active on ART have defaulted and become lost to care. This represents an 89% retention rate among older adolescents compared to a 97% retention rate for the adult population in the same facility. There is a lack of information on the extent of ART adherence among older adolescents, particularly in terms of viral suppression rates. This study aims to measure the level of adherence to ART treatment among adolescents enrolled at the Omuthiya ART Clinic in the Oshikoto Region, Namibia.

METHODS: From November to December 2020, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) at the Omuthiya ART Clinic. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

RESULTS: The study found that 24% of adolescent patients on ART treated at the Omuthiya ART Clinic are non-adherent to treatment. A significant association found was between education level and adherence (p = 0.008), alcohol use and adherence (p = 0.022) and memory aids use and adherence (p 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Adolescents’ adherence to ART at the Omuthiya ART Clinic is influenced by educational level, alcohol use, and memory aid use. Further research is needed to explore other potential factors influencing adherence.Contribution: These findings may be used to develop ongoing strategies and targeted interventions that prioritise a patient-centred care approach, recognising the autonomy of adolescents. In addition, they highlight the importance of a supportive family environment in managing HIV and improving ART adherence.

PMID:40035102 | DOI:10.4102/safp.v67i1.6020

S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2025 Feb 20;67(1):e1-e7. doi: 10.4102/safp.v67i1.6050.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are regarded as a key population that needs specialised healthcare services to address their healthcare needs. This is because of their sexual practices. Men who have sex with men encounter positive and negative experiences when accessing healthcare services in public health care facilities. This study explored and described the experiences of MSM about accessing healthcare services in public healthcare facilities. The study was conducted in Ekurhuleni district, situated in the East of Gauteng province, South Africa.

METHODS: A descriptive, explorative, qualitative approach was employed to investigate the experiences of MSM about accessing healthcare services. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 MSM aged 18 years and above.

RESULTS: Overall, MSM had both negative and positive experiences when accessing healthcare services. However, mainly the negative in the public healthcare facilities, whereas positive were experienced in the private healthcare facilities.

CONCLUSION: The negative experiences of MSM, the judgemental and discriminatory attitudes of healthcare workers towards them and the scarcity or unavailability of resources and healthcare services to address their specific healthcare needs in healthcare facilities have created interpersonal and structural barriers, which prevent MSM from accessing healthcare services.Contribution: These findings suggest the need for the training of healthcare workers to be truly caring, the allocation of resources and healthcare services to addressing MSM-specific healthcare needs in healthcare facilities and the creation of an accommodating environment for them.

PMID:40035099 | DOI:10.4102/safp.v67i1.6050

S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2025 Feb 18;67(1):e1-e8. doi: 10.4102/safp.v67i1.5779.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cultural and religious illnesses such as spirit possessions are health conditions that are not easily understood by healthcare providers in mental healthcare service institutions. Mental health care providers’ understanding is guided by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) that seems to not recognise cultural and religious illnesses as a disorder that needs distinct care. The study explored mental healthcare providers’ understanding of cultural and religious illnesses that could assist spirit-possessed persons to receive proper management and early referrals to traditional health practitioners and faith healers who are expects in cultural and religious illnesses.

METHODS: Hermeneutic phenomenology explored 12 mental healthcare providers’ understanding of cultural and religious illnesses. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with 12 mental healthcare providers who were selected through a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected from two mental healthcare institutions in the Gauteng province of South Africa that provide mental healthcare services. Data analysis followed Heidegger’s and Gadamer’s philosophies and Van Manen’s six steps.

RESULTS: The findings revealed that mental healthcare providers understood cultural and religious illnesses as mental illness that is unclassified, a calling for a person to become a traditional health practitioner, a demonic spirit and/or witchcraft. The term ‘unclassified disorder’ denotes that there are no specific criteria that could be used to classify an illness.

CONCLUSION: Understanding of cultural and religious illnesses could assist mental healthcare providers that ill-nesses that do not respond to psychiatric treatment can be referred to traditional health practitioners with expert cultural and religious assessment.Contribution: The study could assist MHCPs to acknowledge and take culture and religion into account when providing care to person with cultural and religious illness. Considering the culture and religion of the spir-it-possessed person could be an attempt to move towards a holistic understanding of health needs that highlight the continuous connections between mind, body, and soul.

PMID:40035098 | DOI:10.4102/safp.v67i1.5779

J Frailty Sarcopenia Falls. 2025 Mar 1;10(1):28-36. doi: 10.22540/JFSF-10-028. eCollection 2025 Mar.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: While chronological aging does not necessarily impair oncological outcomes after radical prostatectomy, the role of frailty remains less clear. This study aimed to evaluate whether frailty significantly affects early continence rates following radical prostatectomy and to explore the potential association between frailty and postoperative complications.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 212 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy was conducted. Preoperative frailty assessment employed a multimodal evaluation encompassing cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, and urinary systems, supplemented by conventional risk measures such as physical performance status and biochemical markers. The primary endpoint was early continence recovery, while secondary outcomes included 30-day postoperative complications.

RESULTS: Comparative analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics, oncological outcomes, or complication rates between the open and robotic-assisted surgical cohorts. However, frailty was strongly associated with reduced early continence recovery, irrespective of surgical technique (p<0.001). No significant association was detected between frailty and 30-day postoperative complications (p=0.36).

CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights frailty as a pivotal predictor of early continence outcomes. The lack of association between frailty and postoperative complications suggests that comprehensive frailty assessment may be more relevant for anticipating functional recovery than predicting immediate surgical risks. These findings support integrating frailty evaluation into preoperative decision-making frameworks.

PMID:40035086 | PMC:PMC11872250 | DOI:10.22540/JFSF-10-028

J Frailty Sarcopenia Falls. 2025 Mar 1;10(1):18-27. doi: 10.22540/JFSF-10-018. eCollection 2025 Mar.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study examines relationships between frailty, concerns about falling (CaF), and fall risk in community-dwelling older adults (≥60 years old).

METHODS: Frailty, CaF, and fall risk were cross-sectionally assessed using the FRAIL, short FES-I, and STEADI questionnaires in 178 participants. Spearman correlations, logistical regression, and ordinal regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS: 38.2% of participants were robust, 48.9% pre-frail, and 12.9% frail. Logistic regressions revealed that frail individuals were 91.4% more likely to have CaF compared to non-frail individuals, and individuals with lower fall risk were 5.7 times less likely to have CaF than those with no fall risk. Pre-frail individuals were more likely to have fall risk than non-frail individuals. Individuals with low CaF were 6 times less likely to have fall risk than those with high CaF. Ordinal logistic regressions revealed that for individuals with no CaF and no fall risk, the odds of being frail were 69.5% and 86.7% lower, respectively, than those with high CaF and high fall risk.

CONCLUSIONS: Frailty relationships with fall risk and CaF indicate the importance of addressing frailty to aid in fall prevention in older adults. Further, addressing the CaF mentality is important in fall prevention in older adults. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05778604.

PMID:40035084 | PMC:PMC11872253 | DOI:10.22540/JFSF-10-018

Front Surg. 2025 Feb 17;12:1526384. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2025.1526384. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Nonunion of femoral neck fractures following internal fixation presents a significant challenge, particularly in young patients. This study evaluated the efficacy of valgus osteotomy in treating femoral neck fracture nonunion after failed internal fixation in young adults.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted including a total of 23 male patients with a mean age of 32.9 years, who underwent valgus osteotomy for femoral neck fracture nonunion. The procedure involved lateral closing wedge osteotomy at the subtrochanteric level, followed by fixation with a dynamic hip screw (DHS). The postoperative follow-up period exceeded one year.

RESULTS: Significant improvements in biomechanical parameters were observed. The mean neck-shaft angle increased from 118.91° to 139.26° (p < 0.001), whereas the Pauwels angle decreased from 62.07° to 46.91° (p < 0.001). The median Harris Hip Score improved from 63 to 96 (p < 0.001). Limb length demonstrated a trend toward improvement, increasing from a median of 73.30-74.50 cm, although this was not statistically significant (p = 0.077). Union was achieved in 22 of 23 patients, with a median healing time of 8.5 months.

CONCLUSION: Valgus osteotomy is an effective treatment for femoral neck fracture nonunion in young adults, offering improved biomechanics, good union rates, and enhanced functional outcomes. This technique is a viable option for preserving the native hip joint in challenging patients.

PMID:40035071 | PMC:PMC11872901 | DOI:10.3389/fsurg.2025.1526384