Browsing by Author "Florence, Maria"
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Item A qualitative exploration of the dimensions of family resilience in a rural community on the West Coast(University of the Western Cape, 2017) Twigg, Jennifer; Florence, Maria; Isaacs, SerenaHistorically, families living in disenfranchised communities were viewed as being dysfunctional. This view led to the perpetuation of the challenges and adverse situations faced by these families. It is important to view the family holistically rather than just to focus on the risk factors and/or the dysfunctional nature of the family. This study endeavoured to explore how the family functions and copes with the challenges they face. The aim of the study was to qualitatively explore the dimensions of family resilience as perceived by families in a rural community on the West Coast, South Africa. Family resilience theory was used as the theoretical framework for the research study. Three family resilience dimensions were explored. These dimensions are family belief systems, family organisation and resources, and family communication patterns. Participants were selected by means of nonprobability sampling. The local NGO in collaboration with the researcher identified the participants. The participants were homogenous in terms of being parents who participated in a parent support programme and were from the same community. Six semi-structured, oneon- one interviews were conducted as the data collection method. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Three main themes emerged, in congruence with the theoretical framework. These themes were the family's belief system, their organisational patterns when faced with adversity, as well as the communication patterns of the family. The participants all reported that their strong sense of faith was used as coping mechanisms through their adversities. They had varying reports on how their family organised themselves and how they communicated. Some participants reported that living in a small community could at times be challenging, especially when sharing adversities as they feared community gossip, which then acted as a barrier to seeking help. The researcher adhered to the ethics requirements of the study in terms of confidentiality, provided the participants with informed consent forms and informed them of their rights as participants. Participants were free to discontinue the research process at any point without prejudice.Item Children’s interactions with family and friends in constrained contexts: Considerations for children’s subjective well‑being(Springer Nature, 2021) Florence, Maria; Savahl, Shazly; Adams, SabirahThe primary aim of the study was to determine the relation between the frequency of children’s interactions with family and friends and their subjective well-being amongst a sample of children residing in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Within this process, the study further aimed to determine the differential relation of interactions with family and friends across two age groups (10- and 12-year-olds) and gender. The study included a sample of 2252 children between the ages of 10-to 12-years (Mage = 11.01, SD = 1.00). The instrument comprised a revised version of the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale and six items representing the frequency of interactions with family and friends. We used confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling to analyse the data, with multi-group structural equation modelling to analyse the data across the two age groups and gender. We found a significant relation between children’s frequency of interactions with family and friends and their subjective well-being. While each of the latent constructs made a significant contribution, ‘frequency of interactions with family’ made the highest contribution to subjective well-being for the overall sample. Multi-group structural equation modelling demonstrated evidence of scalar invariance across age (10- and 12-yearolds) and gender, which endorses comparisons across groups by correlations, regression coefficients and mean scores. The latent variable ‘frequency of interactions with family’ presented with a stronger contribution for both age groups, as well as for both boys and girls. The study highlights the importance of social relationships on children’s lives and well-being.Item The differences between adolescent users and non-users of addictive substances in a low socio-economic status community: Contextual factors explored from the perspective of subjective wellbeing.(Psychological Society of South Africa, 2011) Florence, Maria; Koch, ElizeThis research aimed to explore the differences between adolescents from a low socio-economic Cape Town community who use addictive substances and those who do not, with regard to subjective wellbeing. The Kidscreen52 was used to measure subjective wellbeing in a sample of 179 Grade 10 and 11 learners; 41.3% of the sample was male. Thirty-five percent of the adolescents reported to be substance users, with significantly more males reporting substance use than females in both grades. Scores on four of the sub-scales were significantly different for the substance users and non-users (namely Feelings, General mood, Family and home life, School and learning). A post hoc analysis indicated that males and females differed significantly on General mood, but that this difference did not interact with substance use.Item Evaluating the construct validity of the KIDSCREEN-52 Quality of Life questionnaire in a South African context(Psychological Society of South Africa, 2012) Taliep, Naiema; Florence, MariaThe absence of a suitable measure to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children and adolescents in South Africa, led to the use of the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire which was developed and standardised in Europe. The current study is part of a broader study conducted in the Western Cape, which used the KIDSCREEN-52 to explore the influence of exposure to community violence on the subjective HRQoL of a sample of South African adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the reliability and construct validity of the KIDSCREEN-52 in a South African context. The broader study employed stratified interval criterion sampling to select 565 Grade 9 learners, aged 14-18. Participants were selected from six public schools in areas specified by the South African government as comprising key nodal areas in terms of crime in the Western Cape. The dataset for the current study comprised all participants (N=565) of the primary study. As the initial step in validation of the KIDSCREEN-52 in South Africa, the current study examined its factor structure by means of exploratory factor analysis, using principal component analysis with oblimin rotations. It also assessed the internal consistency reliability of each of the scales, using Cronbach’s alpha. Exploratory factor analysis extracted 10 factors as identified by previous studies, with some deviation in the loadings of the last three factors. Items of two scales (“Feelings” and “About Yourself”) divided into three scales, and “Bullying” items were not sufficiently presented in the factor solution. Internal consistency of the measure was shown to be acceptable to good, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.76 to 0.81 for the 10 scales.Item Exploring experiences of “black tax” among emerging black middle class in Cape Town(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Mpisane, Noluthando; Florence, Maria“Black Tax” refers to the financial burden that is placed upon Black professionals to support their immediate and extended families. There is nascent and limited academic literature on “Black Tax”, and the available literature focuses mostly on the financial impact of “Black Tax”. Thus, the overall aim of this study was to explore the experiences of “Black Tax” amongst the emerging Black middle-class with regard to the emotional aspects of the practise. The Kinscripts Framework was used to explicate how the emerging Black middle-class experience “Black Tax”, in terms of the perceived financial obligation, and expectation towards their immediate and extended families.Item The relation between children’s participation in daily activities, their engagement with family and friends, and subjective well-being(Springer, 2020) Manuel, Donnay; Savahl, Shazly; Florence, MariaThe study aimed to ascertain the relation between children’s participation in daily activities, engaging with family and friends and their subjective well-being (SWB); and to ascertain the extent to which the nature of the relation differs across three age groups (8, 10 and 12), gender, and geographical context (urban and rural). The study used data from Wave 2 of the South African Children’s Worlds Study conducted with a random sample of 3284 children between the ages of 8 to 12-years. Three scales measuring children’s daily activities, engagement with family and friends, and their SWB using the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale were used. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling; with group comparisons assessed by means of multi-group structural equation modelling. The study found a significant relation between children’s engagement with family and friends and participation in daily activities and their SWB; with the combined influence of engagement with family and friends and participation in daily activities explaining 31% of the variance in SWB.Item Scoping review protocol exploring the relationship between food insecurity, mental health and diet intake among adolescents across the globe(BMJ, 2023) Nkwanyana, Akhona; Florence, Maria; Swart, Elizabeth CatherinaIntroduction Studies, exploring the effect of food insecurity on physical and mental health, have shown that food insecurity is associated with lower self-reports of physical and mental health. With the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity has increased leading to higher risks of poor mental health. Despite evidence of the negative implications of food insecurity on mental health, there is a paucity of research on these variables for adolescents specifically. The current evidence shows there is a gap in adolescent centred research linking mental health and food insecurity globally. Adolescence is a crucial period of development where habits, nutritional inadequacies linked to food insecurity and mental health problems formed due to these inadequacies can be conveyed into adulthood. The aim of this study is to systematically scope the literature exploring the relationship between mental health, food (in)security and/or diet intake of adolescents. Methods This review will be guided by Arksey and O'Malley's extended framework. The search strategy was developed by two of the authors and will be used to search literature from January 2012 to December 2022 in PubMed, Academic search complete, PsychARTICLES, Google, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Web of science core collection. Searching published and unpublished literature will be done in the chosen databases. References used in included literature will be reviewed for additional studies/sources. Articles will be assessed for eligibility by two reviewers, and any discrepancies reviewed by a third reviewer. The inclusion and exclusion criteria will be used for screening. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram will be used to document the selection process. A narrative summary and descriptive analysis will be used to summarise and report the extracted data. Ethics and dissemination Approval for this study has been granted by the University of the Western Cape Biomedical Research Ethics Committee (BM21/8/3). Strict measures will be followed to ensure methodological rigour.Item Scoping review protocol exploring the relationship between food insecurity, mental health and diet intake among adolescents across the globe(BMJ Publishing Group, 2023) Nkwanyana, Akhona; Florence, Maria; Swart, Elizabeth CatherinaStudies, exploring the effect of food insecurity on physical and mental health, have shown that food insecurity is associated with lower self-reports of physical and mental health. With the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity has increased leading to higher risks of poor mental health. Despite evidence of the negative implications of food insecurity on mental health, there is a paucity of research on these variables for adolescents specifically. The current evidence shows there is a gap in adolescent centred research linking mental health and food insecurity globally. Adolescence is a crucial period of development where habits, nutritional inadequacies linked to food insecurity and mental health problems formed due to these inadequacies can be conveyed into adulthood. The aim of this study is to systematically scope the literature exploring the relationship between mental health, food (in) security and/or diet intake of adolescentsItem Stress and nicotine dependence during pregnancy among women in Low-SES communities in the Western Cape: The mediating effects of social support(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Morkel, Jade; Florence, MariaHealth behaviours during pregnancy are of great significance due to its associated health consequences for both the woman and the developing foetus. There is a large body of existing knowledge demonstrating the profound harmful effects of cigarette smoking on maternal and foetal health. Given the significant smoking rates and the related negative birth outcomes and health impact on infants, understanding who smokes during pregnancy and the factors influencing this behaviour is imperative for the creation of effective intervention programs. The overarching aim of the study was to determine the relation between stress and nicotine dependence among a sample of pregnant women residing in low socio-economic status communities in the Western Cape. The study further aimed to determine the extent to which social support mediates this relationItem Youths’ perceptions of the relation between alcohol consumption and risky sexual behaviour in the Western Cape, South Africa: a qualitative study(Springer, 2021) Carels, Cassandra; Florence, Maria; Adams, Sabirah; Sinclair, Deborah LouiseThe purpose of this study is to explore the factors that youth identify as contributing to alcohol consumption, and more specifcally its relation to risky sexual behaviour among youth. We employed an exploratory qualitative method using focus group discussions with 34 young people between the ages of 18-25-years-old in low socio-economic status communities in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Data were analyzed thematically utilizing Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step thematic analysis process. We identifed two thematic domains pertaining to alcohol consumption and risky sexual behaviour, namely individual and social factors, each comprising three themes. The individual factors thematic domain comprises intrapersonal infuences, employment and educational attainment; while the social factors thematic domain includes interpersonal infuences, social infuences, and hope for the future. Youth living in low socio-economic status communities were thought to be at greater risk of alcohol misuse and subsequent risky behaviour, given the political and social history of marginalisation, systematic oppression, and social inequality. To address alcohol use and risky sexual behavior among youth, we recommend interventions with adolescents, parents or guardians, and the community. More specifcally, interventions aimed at adolescents should focus on the transition to young adulthood. Interventions with parents should focus on their role in modelling and potentially regulating alcohol consumption. Finally, community interventions should centre on drinking behaviors, levels of drinking, what constitutes harmful drinking, and how to identify when treatment and recovery support is likely to be required.