UWCScholar

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 11

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The impact of covid-19 on psychological well-being, social support and academic stress on postgraduate students
(University of the Western Cape, 2026) Adams, Ammaarah
The COVID-19 pandemic affected countries globally. The magnitude of the effects of the pandemic was experienced differently based on country-specific contextual circumstances across the Global South and Global North. Countries in the Global South such as South Africa with high levels of inequality have been negatively impacted, predominantly owing to the lack of access to sufficient funding and resources, across all spheres. In particular, education was negatively affected as students had to adjust to online learning formats, with a lack of access to the necessary technological infrastructure and equipment, knowledge, and a conducive space to work. Owing to online classes and a hard lockdown, the psychological well-being, academic stress and social support of postgraduate students was affected. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between postgraduate students’ psychological well-being, academic stress and social support in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of this study were to: explore the influence of social support on the psychological well-being of postgraduate university students during the COVID-19 pandemic; explore the influence of academic stress on the psychological well-being of postgraduate university students during the COVID-19 pandemic; and to explore the influence of both academic stress and social support on the psychological well-being of postgraduate university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The role of indigenous games in sport and development: The case of games and values of Vhavenda people in Limpopo
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Mulibana, Phumudzo khangwelo
Africa has a rich tradition of culture, history, economy, sport, and social institutions which are envied by the Western world. Various racial and ethnic groups in the continent have demonstrated these legacies. These tribes evolved Indigenous Games, sports, plays, dances, and arts that were used for various purposes, such as socialization, initiation ceremonies, values transfer, recreation, chieftaincy coronations, etc. Unfortunately, some of these legacies have had, so far, very little or no documentation. The present study titled “The Role of Indigenous Games in Sport and Development: Case of Games and Values of Vhavenda People in Limpopo” is designed to explore and determine the role and impact of Indigenous Games in sport and development. This facilitated the development of a framework to better understand the role which these games play in sport and development as well as the values of these games for Vhavenda People. This study adopted a descriptive survey adopting a mixed-methods approach employing the use of structured questionnaires to collect quantitative data and the use of focus group discussions and structured interviews to collect qualitative data from different segmented population groups including anthropologists, as well as those who are directly and indirectly involved in the programming and delivery of Indigenous Games within Vhembe district of Limpopo province. The results of this study revealed that Indigenous Games for Vhavenda people play a significant role in socialization, values transfer, education and promoting physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health and wellbeing. The study further uncovered that Indigenous Games are another means to transfer indigenous knowledge from one generation to another. The study included the development of a framework for understanding the role and impact of Indigenous Games in sport and development, adaptable for use by all stakeholders worldwide to improve their inclusion in socialization, education, curricula, as well as the programming and delivery of Indigenous Games.
Cosmological peculiar velocities in general relativity
(National University of Ireland Maynooth, 2026) Clarkson, Chris; Maartens, Roy
We reconsider the late-time evolution of galaxy peculiar velocities in the 1 + 3 covariant approach to cosmological perturbation theory. It has recently been claimed that this approach predicts substan-tially stronger growth of peculiar velocities than standard metric-based perturbation theory – on the grounds that the covariant treatment is fully relativistic whereas standard treatments are effectively Newtonian. We show that this is not the case. When the covariant equations are applied consistently, the 1 + 3 approach reproduces exactly the standard perturbative result for peculiar-velocity growth. The stronger growth laws claimed in recent work arise from an inconsistent treatment of the cou-pled covariant system, in which terms constrained by the field equations are treated as if they were independent sources. Further claims are made that the stronger bulk flows can mimic accelerated expansion in a dust universe. We argue that these claims rest on a confusion between the kinematics of an arbitrarily chosen observer congruence and the physical expansion of the matter congruence traced by galaxies. We conclude that the standard treatment of peculiar velocities is correct and fully relativistic – and does not lead to anomalous bulk flows or to apparent accelerated expansion.
A critical review of the implementation of the Protection of Personal Information Act in the Western Cape health department: A document analysis (2015-2022)
(University of the Western Cape, 2025) Leo, Amy Jane
In the rapidly evolving digital era that we find ourselves, the protection of personal information has become somewhat of a paramount concern, with reference to the healthcare sector where sensitive patient data lies at the core of medical care and research. To combat this pressing issue, the South African Government has introduced a comprehensive data privacy legislation in 2013 known as the Protection of Personal Information Act 4, which came into full effect in 2020. This study focuses critical review the implementation of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), within the Western Cape Health Department (WCHD) from 2015 to 2022. This study assesses the department’s efforts in safeguarding personal information and evaluates its compliance with the law. The study examines the historical context of patient data protection within South Africa’s public healthcare system, focusing on the significant shift from paper-based records to electronic health records (EHRs). It further explores the significance of POPIA in the healthcare context, emphasizing its main objective of preserving patient confidentiality, enhancing data accuracy, and strengthening data security within the healthcare network. The study employed a document analysis methodology to gain a comprehensive understanding of publicly accessible records, policies, reports, and materials related to data privacy and security within the Western Cape Health Department.
Determinants of Healthcare Services in South Africa: A Demographic analysis
(University of the Western Cape, 2025) Vondo Noloyiso
Healthcare access and utilisation in South Africa continue to show significant inequalities, as well as disparities in cost and service quality, despite global health service development. The purpose of this study is to examine the underlying deficiencies in dual healthcare access and utilisation, how people from different socioeconomic backgrounds access and afford the necessary healthcare services, which will then determine the shape of the care they receive. The study used secondary data derived from the nationally representative South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey (SABSSM V) to evaluate the underlying weaknesses in the healthcare access and utilisation system. For data analysis, STATA version 18 was used to address the research objectives and questions by performing three statistical techniques, namely the univariate, bivariate, and multivariate methods. The findings of the study established that younger, unemployed, and less-educated South Africans who rely on public facilities face healthcare access challenges because these facilities have insufficient staff members, combined with outdated infrastructure and extended waiting periods. In contrast, the private healthcare system primarily caters to elderly patients from higher- income brackets who have the financial ability to pay medical premiums and co-payments, along with additional healthcare expenses. Medical aid membership functions as the primary factor that enables private healthcare access, yet the covered population reaches only 16%, and besides, they spend half of the total national health expenditure, while public facilities, which serve most citizens, remain overwhelmed and underserved. Lastly, the study findings found that healthcare accessibility in South Africa remains fragmented because socioeconomic disparities, together with racial and spatial inequalities of the past, still play a critical role in affording one access to equitable healthcare. The study further discovered that employment, level of education, and population group differences are the leading contributing factors to healthcare access and utilisation.