Browsing by Author "Swart, Elizabeth C"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Conflicts of interest are harming maternal and child health: time for scientific journals to end relationships with manufacturers of breast-milk substitutes
    (BMJ Global Helah, 2022) Pereira-Kotze, Catherine; Jeffery, Bill; Badham, Jane; Swart, Elizabeth C
    The promotion and support of breastfeeding globally is thwarted by the USD $57 billion (and growing) formula industry that engages in overt and covert advertising and promotion as well as extensive political activity to foster policy environments conducive to market growth.1 This includes health professional financing and engagement through courses, e-learning platforms, sponsorship of conferences and health professional associations2 and advertising in medical/health journals. These contribute to the overuse of specialised formulas3 and inappropriate dissemination of health and nutrition claims.4 Such ‘medical marketing’ reduces breastfeeding initiation, exclusivity, and duration, irrespective of country context.5 It also creates a subtle, unconscious bias and conflict of interest, whereby journal publishers may consciously, or unconsciously, favour corporations in ways that undermine scientific integrity and editorial independence—even perceived conflicts of interest may tarnish the reputation of scientists, organisations or corporations. Such conflicts have plagued infant and young child nutrition science for decades.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Exploring the potential health risks faced by waste pickers on landfills in South Africa: a A socio-ecological perspective
    (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019) Schenck, Catherina J; Blaauw, Phillip F; Viljoen, Jacoba MM; Swart, Elizabeth C
    Landfill and street waste pickers in South Africa are responsible for collecting substantial volumes of recyclable material, saving municipalities millions and contributing to a generally healthier and cleaner environment. Yet waste pickers continue to operate on the fringes of the economy and are exposed to many risks, particularly health risks which have a direct impact on the sustainability of their livelihoods. This article, using a mixed-methods approach, explores the health risks to which waste pickers working on nine different landfills in the country are exposed. The socio-ecological framework was used to analyse and present the results. A key finding was that waste picking, by its very nature, lends itself to innumerable health risks, but that these can be lessened through concerted and collaborative efforts on the part of landfill operators, local authorities and other stakeholders. Integrating the ‘self-employed’ waste pickers into the formal waste management system should be comprehensive in order to limit health risks. Waste pickers will never have a risk-free environment, but facilitative policies and supportive institutions can collaboratively help to mitigate these risks and create a more sustainable and dignified working environment towards sustaining their livelihoods.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Nutritional status, dietary intake and dietary diversity of landfill waste pickers
    (MDPI, 2022) Swart, Elizabeth C; van der Merwe, Maria; Williams, Joy; Blaauw, Frederick
    The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the nutritional status, dietary intake and dietary diversity of waste pickers in South Africa, a socioeconomically vulnerable group who makes a significant contribution to planetary health through salvaging recyclable material from dumpsites. Participants were weighed and measured to calculate body mass index (BMI). Dietary intake was recorded using a standardised multipass 24 h recall. Individual dietary diversity scores were derived from the dietary recall data. Data were collected from nine purposefully selected landfill sites located in six rural towns and three cities in four of the nine provinces in South Africa, providing nutritional status information on 386 participants and dietary intake on 358 participants after data cleaning and coding. The mean BMI of the study sample was 23.22 kg/m2. Underweight was more prevalent among males (22.52%) whilst 56.1% of the females were overweight or obese. The average individual dietary diversity score was 2.46, with 50% scoring 2 or less. Dietary intake patterns were characterised as monotonous, starch-based and lacking vegetables and fruits. The nutritional status, dietary intake and dietary diversity of waste pickers reflect their precarious economic status, highlighting the need for health, social and economic policies to improve access and affordability of nutritious food.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    South Africa’s health promotion Levy on pricing and acquisition of beverages in small stores and supermarkets
    (Cambridge University Press, 2022) Ross, Alexandra; Swart, Elizabeth C; Frank, Tamryn
    In response to concern over rising sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, in April 2018, South Africa became the first Sub-Saharan African (SSA) country to implement an SSB tax. We assess changes in pricing and acquisition of beverages from local supermarkets and small stores among 18–39-year-old adults living in one township in the Western Cape, before and after tax implementation. This study is among the first evaluations of an SSB tax on the local food environment in a low-income township.