Browsing by Author "November, Rucia Vern Clare"

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    Medication use and fall risk among older adults in long-term care facilities: a cross-sectional analysis
    (Academy of Science of South Africa, 2025) Ebrahim, Nabilah; Ras, Jaron; November, Rucia Vern Clare; Leach, Lloyd Llewellyn
    Background: Falls among older adults are a major concern, frequently resulting in injuries and a decreased quality of life. While medication use is known to be a key contributor to fall risk, the specific medications have not been thoroughly investigated. This study is vital to investigate the relationship between specific medications and fall risk, aiming to strengthen safety measures and minimise falls among the elderly in care facilities. Objectives: To determine the relationship between medication use and the risk of falling among the elderly living in Long Term Care (LTC) facilities. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design to investigate males and females, aged 60 years and older, living in retirement facilities in the City of Cape Town. A convenient sampling method was utilised to recruit a total of 258 participants from multiple long-term care facilities in Cape Town, South Africa. The Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to determine associations between falls, fall risk factors, and various medications used. Results: Majority of participants were at low risk (81%; n=211), 15.1% (n=39) at moderate risk and 3.1% (n=8) at high risk for falling. Antidepressant [χ2 (1)=4.941; p=0.026; OR=2.083 (95% CI: 1.082, 4.012)] and anti-diabetic [χ2 (1)=4.097, p=0.043, OR=2.070 (95% CI: 1.013, 4.228)] medications were the only drugs significantly associated with falling. Conclusion: These findings highlight the significant association between antidepressant and anti-diabetic medications and an increased risk of falls. Effective medication management and fall prevention strategies are essential among this vulnerable population. Clinicians should carefully assess the risks of these medications when prescribing to older adults and consider alternative treatments when necessary.
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    The determinants of success in One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 (T20) cricket matches: a systematic review and meta-analysis
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2025) November, Rucia Vern Clare; Ras, Jaron; Nyirenda, Clement N; Leach, Lloyd Llewellyn
    Understanding the determinants of success in International One Day (ODI) and Twenty20 (T20) cricket is essential for optimising team and player performance. This review aimed to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) associated with successful outcomes in elite international ODI and T20 matches. The review also examines performance analysis (PA) methods and trends across male and female cricketers. Comprehensive searches were conducted across PubMed, SPORTDiscus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital library, Ebscohost and Web of Science, covering literature published between 2000 and the present. Studies were included if they reported on KPIs or PA techniques contributing to the success in cricket. Following a rigorous screening process, nine studies met the inclusion criteria. This review revealed that most PA studies focused on distinguishing KPIs between winning and losing teams. Although video technology and statistical models are increasingly applied, relatively few investigations have incorporated contextual variables or gender-inclusive perspectives. Notably, only one study examined female cricketers, which limited the ability to draw strong conclusions on sex-specific performance differences. Furthermore, gaps remain regarding the consistent application of PA methods across formats. This review provides an overview of success determinants in international cricket and highlights the need for holistic, inclusive and ecologically valid approaches.