Browsing by Author "Johnson, Levona"

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    Assessment of risk factors for Non-Communicable diseases among a cohort of community health workers in Western Cape, South Africa
    (The College of Medicine and the Medical Association of Malawi, 2021-09) Johnson, Levona; Schopp, Laura; Waggie, Firdouza; Frantz, J.M
    Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been identified as the key health professionals to drive the agenda of the prevention of health risk behaviours, linked to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in South Africa. They are regarded as the agents of change, who will provide impetus to the achievement of the health behaviour goals, set out by the South African National Department of Health1 . However, this cohort, may suffer from an array of NCDs. There are various risk factors that influence the health of individuals and contribute to NCDs, including modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, which cannot be changed, or altered by an intervention, such as age, family history, gender and ethnicity2,3. Modifiable risk factors have been classified as behavioural, physical, and biological4 . Globally, NCDs are responsible for 80% of premature deaths in LMICs5,6. In response to the NCD pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) set a global target in 2012, which was aimed at reducing premature deaths, caused by NCDs, by 25%, by the year 20257 . However, this goal will require drastic, immediate, and targeted approaches that address the root causes of NCDs. South Africa has followed the global trend, and evidence depicts an increase in NCDs8 , with a 27% probability of dying between the ages of 30 and 70 years, as a result of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes, cancers, or chronic respiratory conditions7,9. This is similar to other countries such as India (26%), Philippines (28%), Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (27%), Mali (26%), Russian Federation (30%), Ukraine (28%) , Tajikistan (29%), Fiji (31%), Afghanistan (31%) and Armenia (31%)9 In the Western Cape, the prevalence of chronic diseases of lifestyle raises major concerns about the communities’ health risk behaviour. The Burden of Disease Survey for the Western Cape, which was released on 24 April 2017, reported that NCDs contributed to 61% of deaths in the Western Province10
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    The effect of hydrotherapy on the pain levels, stress levels, quality of life and functional disability in patients with rheumatic disease
    (University of Western Cape, 2011) Johnson, Levona; Frantz, J.
    Rheumatic disease is estimated to be one of the most disabling diseases in South Africa and the world. The most common rheumatic diseases are osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and systemic lupus erythematosus. The symptoms of the disease include pain, stiffness, swelling, decreased function. The patient’s functional abilities are severely affected by the pain which in turn, leads to poor quality of life and adverse stress. As a result patients who suffer with one or with a combination of rheumatic disease will experience pain, stress, decreased functional abilities and poor quality of life. The physical properties of water and the therapeutic effects of hydrotherapy, make hydrotherapy an effective form of exercise available to physiotherapists in the treatment of rheumatic disease. The aim of the current study was to determine the effects of a hydrotherapy intervention on the pain, stress, quality of life and functional abilities in patients with rheumatic disease. A quantitative and qualitative research design was employed to meet the objectives. The quantitative aspect involved an A-B-A design and the qualitative part of the study compromised indepth interviews which took place after the intervention. The instruments used were the WHOQOL-BREF instrument, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Weekly Stress Inventory-Short Form (WSI-SF) and the Health Assessment Questionnaire. (HAQ). The sample consisted of 19 patients who were diagnosed with one or a combination of rheumatic disease. The study was conducted at the hydrotherapy pool at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. Within the study sample, the majority of the participants were female (84%) with osteoarthritis being common among the participants (53%). The mean age was 60 years. The intervention had a significant impact on pain reduction (p = 0.0001), quality of life (p<0.05). However, the impact of hydrotherapy on stress and the social relationship domain in quality of life was inconclusive. It is thus evident from this study that hydrotherapy as a treatment modality for physiotherapists can be used to impact on the pain, quality of life and functional abilities in patients with rheumatic disease. iv Keywords
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    Emerging from the shadows: Intrinsic and extrinsic factors facing community health workers in Western Cape, South Africa
    (MDPI, 2020) Majee, Wilson; Schopp, Laura; Johnson, Levona
    Community health workers (CHWs) have been identified as a key component of the health workforce in South Africa. However, the efficacy of CHW programs continues to be limited by a poor understanding of facilitators and barriers to CHW engagement. This study explores intrinsic and extrinsic factors that CHWs face. We conducted in-depth interviews with 20 CHWs in order to understand the challenges they may face as they implement their duties linked to the primary health care strategy in the Western Cape, South Africa.
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    Emerging from the Shadows: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Facing Community Health Workers in Western Cape, South Africa
    (MDPI, 2020) Schopp, Laura; Majee, Wilson; Johnson, Levona
    Community health workers (CHWs) have been identified as a key component of the health workforce in South Africa. However, the efficacy of CHW programs continues to be limited by a poor understanding of facilitators and barriers to CHW engagement. This study explores intrinsic and extrinsic factors that CHWs face. We conducted in-depth interviews with 20 CHWs in order to understand the challenges they may face as they implement their duties linked to the primary health care strategy in the Western Cape, South Africa. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, coded and analyzed using NVivo 12. Drawing on narratives of CHWs, we illustrate the complex issues surrounding CHW outreach in poor rural communities. The CHWs identified five key areas of challenges with respect to personal health, gender issues, poor community understanding of CHWs roles, environmental challenges and lack of patient adherence. These all hinder the ability of CHWs to meet their personal and familial needs, as well as those of the community members they support. There is a need to address the intrinsic needs of CHWs in order to ensure their emotional and physical well-being, as well as a need to create an awareness of the roles of CHWs.
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    Empowering community health workers to improve their health behaviours using a self-management approach
    (University of Western Cape, 2021) Johnson, Levona; Frantz, José
    South Africa and the Western Cape Province are under severe strain with an increasing quadruple burden of disease, and a deficit in the number of professionally trained healthcare workers available to meet the health needs of the population. Risky health behaviours have contributed to the rising prevalence of non-communicable disease, which in turn has largely contributed to the burden of disease. Community health workers are key frontline workers, who have been specifically appointed as links between the professional health force and the communities, to act as change agents and advocate for improved health behaviours. Taking into consideration that more than 80% of the population is dependent on the public health system, and in particular, the primary healthcare sector, these laypersons have a mammoth task to fulfil.
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    A Self-Management Training Intervention: Perceptions and Practices of Community Health Workers in South Africa
    (2019-07-15) Majee, Wilson; Anakwe, A; Johnson, Levona; Rhoda, Anthea; Frantz, Jose M.; Schopp, Laura
    Background. While community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly being used as a strategy for increasing health care access, particularly in rural communities, interventions are needed to improve their skill sets in inspiring health behavior change, both for themselves and among their community clients. Self-management (SM) education interventions have shown to improve health behaviors and wellbeing. Purpose.