Browsing by Author "Phillips, Joliana"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    HIV/AIDS related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of FET College students: implications for sexual health promotion
    (University of the Western Cape, 2010) Moodley, Colleen Gail; Phillips, Joliana; NULL; Faculty of Education
    The quantitative findings indicated high levels of HIV/AIDS knowledge, self-concept and self-efficacy. Risky sexual behaviour was measured in terms of condom use and the number of sexual partners in the 12 months prior to the study with males reporting significantly more risky sexual behaviour. More males (70% vs. 43 % females) reported no condom use when engaging in sex. More males (62 % vs. 28 % females) reported having had two or more sexual partners in the 12 months prior to the study. Results also suggested that an increase in knowledge of HIV/AIDS would predict an increase in the use of condoms particularly for males. Lower self-efficacy seemed to predict an increase in the number of sexual partners for males. The focus group discussions highlighted students' views of HIV/AIDS knowledge in relation to their sexual practices, attitudes and sexual decision-making. Influences such as personal factors (self-concept and self-efficacy), social factors (e.g. peer influences, gender, and status) and environmental factors (e.g. media) were investigated. Participants also commented on the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS campaigns and the adequacy in provision of health services at college and community level. From the findings, guidelines were developed which may be used to reflect on current intervention programmes and may be considered when developing future interventions programmes, policies, or campaigns in promoting safer sexual practices amongst youth as a means of addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
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    Management principles for chronic pain in survivors of traumatic spinal cord injury
    (University of the Western Cape, 2024) Williams, Tammy-Lee; Phillips, Joliana
    Chronic pain is a common secondary complication in the traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) population and has been documented across the world impacting on quality of life (QOL) as well as activities of daily living (ADL’s). Furthermore, chronic pain also impacts on psychological factors resulting in poorer mental health. The current management of chronic pain, globally, is largely based on a predominant pharmacological approach, leading to suboptimal outcomes. Both researchers and persons with TSCI (PWTSCI) are contesting the medically-oriented approach to pain management owing to the complexity of chronic pain and the undesirable side-effects associated with pharmacological use. Within the disorder of chronic pain, a complex interaction of biological, social and psychological factors plays a role in the representation of chronic pain, and, therefore, pharmacological approaches alone cannot be sufficient to treat this multifaceted disorder. In the TSCI population, individuals have highlighted their needs for non-pharmacological interventions to manage their chronic pain. As early as 1977, George Engel proposed to transform the medical model by adapting a biopsychosocial approach to pain management. In South Africa no guideline exists to guide healthcare providers along this biopsychosocial approach in the TSCI population. This doctoral research project, therefore, aimed to develop design principles for the management of chronic pain in the TSCI population.
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    Psychosocial reintegration following traumatic spinal cord injury in South Africa: The influence of employment, injury characteristics and living situation
    (The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine,, 2022) Nizeyimana, Eugene; Phillips, Joliana; Joseph, Conran
    1Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Division of Physiotherapy, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa, 2Department of Physiotherapy, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa Objectives: To determine the influence of employment, injury characteristics and living situation on psychosocial reintegration in individuals who sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in South Africa. Design: A cross-sectional exploratory survey. Settings: Communities of the Cape Metropolitan Area, South Africa. Participants: A total of 108 community- dwelling adults, between ages of 19 and 71 years, who have sustained a TSCI more than 1- year ago. Outcome measures: : The Sydney psychosocial reintegration scale (SPRS-2). Results: The SPRS-2 and domains mean (SD) scores were: (1) Overall SPRS-2 of 27.87(13.4); (2) Occupational activity of 8.62 (4.8); (3) Interpersonal relationships of 9.80 (5.1); and (4) Living skills of 9.45 (4.9). Multivariate regression analysis resulted in two significant independent variables, namely employment and living situation. Employment alone explained 24.3% of the variance in the overall psychosocial model, 25.6% in the occupational activity model, while employment together with living situation explained 24.2% of the variance in the living skills model, with those employed reporting better psychosocial reintegration and those living in informal dwellings reporting poorer psychosocial reintegration. Conclusion: Employment and living situation strongly influenced psychosocial reintegration following a TSCI, indicating the important role of socio-economic status for psychosocial adaptation after injury. As employment plays a significant mediating role, and living in informal dwellings negatively affect psychosocial reintegration following a TSCI, rehabilitation stakeholders and policy makers need to continue lobbying for social and political change that support employment opportunities and provide accessible housing for persons with TSCI.
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    The development of a health promotion programme for clients with hypertension in Malawi
    (University of the Western Cape, 2023) Tarimo, Nesto Salia; Phillips, Joliana
    Background: Hypertension (HTN), or high blood pressure, is a growing public health issue in developed and developing nations. Malawi has nearly one-third of its adult population affected. Evidence shows that drug therapy combined with lifestyle-focused health promotion interventions can modify most HTN risk factors and improve treatment outcomes. However, there is no known health promotion programme for HTN available in Malawi. Motivated by this evidence, and Malawi's rising HTN prevalence prompted the current study to develop a health promotion programme for the management of clients with HTN in Malawi. Purpose and objectives: The overarching goal of this study was to design a health promotion programme for the management of clients with HTN in Malawi. The research was divided into three phases with eight distinct specific objectives. Phase 1 aimed to collect baseline data in the field of study (hypertension) and addressed three specific objectives: i) to determine the prevalence of HTN amongst adults aged 25-64 living in Malawi's Blantyre district; ii) to investigate the associated risk factors for HTN; and iii) to determine the awareness of HTN and its complications amongst individuals suffering from the disease. Phase 2 focused on four specific objectives, including gathering information about HTN management practices as well as cleints and health- care professional’s experiences with HTN management.